Out of the Darkness
by FuriaeIntus
Summary: *Formally Out of the Darkness, and Back In* A witch is raped and finds her way to Hogwarts. There is only one person who could possibly help her there, only one who could even begin to understand. Will this person help? HG/SS/DM
1. Chapter 1

Title: Out of the Darkness

Formally "Out of the Darkness, and Back In" This has been edited for spelling and grammar, as well as consistency. Otherwise it is the same story. Thank you for reading, and don't forget the reviews!

Author: FuriaeIntus

Ficdom: Harry Potter

Spoilers: If you really must know (as I feel it will tell itself as I progress in the story) the golden trio has graduated. This is a future/AU fic. It departs from cannon at the end of the fourth book, The Goblet of Fire. There will be a few details used from later books, but concerning the wizarding world as a whole, rather than specific character details.

Rating: **HEAVY R! BE WARNED!** First chapter only. Which you could skip if you wanted to.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own plot. The Harryverse belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Summery: A witch is raped and finds her way to Hogwarts. There is only one person who could possibly help her there, only one who could even begin to understand. Will this person help? Or will they allow the witch to fall head first into that endless pit of despair and depression that always ends in death?

**WARNING. HEAVY RATED R FOR A REASON**

This story deals with rape, which is described only in the first chapter. If you don't like the subject, please do not complain to me as I have warned you not to read this story.

*~*~*~*~*STORY*~*~*~*~*

She ran through the dark woods, her blood pounding in her ears. She couldn't hear the three men chasing her. It didn't mean that they weren't there, just that her fear was too loud her in ears for the sense to be of any particular use. As she ran on bare and bloody feet, twigs caught in her long hair and clothing. What little there was left of it, anyways. Her blouse was in tatters, and covering her breasts by only one button. Her skirt was in shreds, though the waistband stayed where it was supposed to, so the skirt didn't expose her to the elements. Her silk panties had long ago been torn off by one of the greedy monsters chasing her like hungry wolves chased their bleeding prey. The analogy was somehow appropriate – as she was running through a forest. She was hoping and praying that she could get away.

She didn't have to hear the three men chasing her. She could sense them, their emotions, their lust and greed. She couldn't believe herself to be so stupid as to go out alone at night, not now, not during the war. He-who-must-not-be-named's followers were once again on the rise, despite the fact that the boy-who-lived and his friends had defeated their master a few years before.

In her fear, she had not even thought of her wand. She had gone first for the knives she always carried. She had injured the men, and that had only made them worse. Each knife slash and drop of blood excited them more. Each swing brought three more thrusts. One mounted her, one held one arm down, and the third could have easily held down the arm slashing with the glistening blade, but to them it was more fun to give her false hope.

The first man continued to thrust and tear her tender flesh until he emptied himself inside her womb. Her dry sobs only made them laugh as the man who had just finished grabbed hold of her swinging arm. The one who had allowed her one arm to swing free with her knife took the first man's place between her torn and bloody legs. With his first thrust, she discovered that he was much larger than the previous man was, and in her pain came clarity.

They wouldn't kill her, they were saying. They would take her back to their house, lock her with their other women. They were saying that they had not had one so feisty in a long while. NO! She would not be broken. She had kept hope, and it had paid her well.

She pretended to pass out as the third man mounted her and impaled her. He brought little relief, as he was biggest of all. They fell for her act and let her loose, watching their companion. When the third man had finished, they had started a fire near here, deciding to just camp there for the night. They would rest, and make their way back to their home in the morning. That is when she realized that it was mere muggles doing this to her. She waited until she was pretty certain that the three men were well involved in their discussion. Then she stood quietly, and ran. She ran for all she was worth. It took the men about ten seconds to realize what had happened, and then they too were off. But that ten seconds she had were well used.

She was more fit than they, despite the abuse her body had endured, and she had a good 20 second head start. It was then that she thought about her wand. She pulled it and, while running, cast a few healing spells. Spells that would have preferred her to be immobile, but at that point, rest wasn't an option.

As the spells worked, the blood pounding in her ears quieted, and she could hear the three Muggles behind her. She ran into a spot where the four humans – three predators and one the prey – could fit and she could still have enough room to work her magic. So she stopped and turned, wand raised, waiting for the predators-turned-prey with an evil glint in her eyes.

The first man shot through the clearing and stopped when he saw her. He smirked thinking they had won, and was not prepared for the burst of silver light that shot toward him as his victim shouted '_Expelliarmus!_' The first man flew back into a rather large tree trunk and hit his head. She again shouted a spell, still pointing her wand at the man. '_Perificus Totalus!' _The man wouldn't be moving unless another wizard removed that curse. The next man to make the clearing was the third man. She threw a stun curse at him, and then put him in a full body bind like the first man. The second man came through right behind the third, and she wasted no time putting him the full body bind. He fell forward onto his face mid step, hands thrust forward as if he were a great *stuffed* bear in a muggle museum.

She leaned back against the tree, and finally let the tears come. Tears over what had happened, tears for her own stupidity at being out alone, and forgetting her wand. She supposed she shouldn't blame herself for that, after all in extreme fear one reverts back to a child's mentality. She was raised muggle, so her wand never crossed her mind. She was just glad she finally did pull her wand, out here in the woods, rather than where ever there were more people. She wouldn't have been able to do that without a tremendous amount of trouble from the Ministry.

She gave herself a half-sob/half-laugh for even thinking such things. After what had happened to her. Denial, she supposed. Distancing herself from the tragedy. She still had to figure out how to get somewhere safe. Her head snapped up at her own thoughts. She was in Scotland. A certain school that was out for the summer was also in Scotland.

Although she was loath to do so, she approached the first man, who had taken her knife. She would create a portkey to Hogwarts gates. Picking up her knife, still stained with the drying blood of the men, she cast the necessary charms on it as the sun rose over the horizon. She took a moment to marvel at the fact that all she had been through had happened between midnight and sunrise. She muttered some simple cleaning spells on herself, to try not to look to pathetic when she arrived, then took the knife/portkey in her hands and uttered the word that activated it. 'Home.'


	2. Chapter 2

She took a moment to marvel at the fact that all she had been through had happened between midnight and sunrise. She muttered some simple cleaning spells on herself, to try not to look too pathetic when she arrived, then took the knife/portkey in her hands and uttered the word that activated it. 'Home.'

She stumbled when the portkey took her to her destination. She was not worried about getting in, for she would always be welcome at her old school. She stumbled through gates that opened for her, clutching her knife. It was again a regular knife, no longer the portkey. She half-ran/half-stumbled up to the front steps of the school, and it took her almost fifteen minutes. She was exhausted, lightheaded, and frightened so terribly now that it was over, and she was safe. She just hoped that it didn't take to long to find someone.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus was lurking. Now, this was a perfectly normal thing for him. What seemed so off was that he was lurking in the main hall in front of the entrance to the school he'd taught at for nearly twenty years. Severus Snape lurked in his dungeons. Most certainly NOT in the main hall. But this morning he was subject to a horrible feeling that he only got when there was danger. It woke him with the sun, and drew him here. The opening of the main doors into Hogwarts startled him out of his thoughts. It was summer, who was coming in? The few professors who had stayed were still asleep, save himself of course. The heart he lead everyone to believe he didn't have pounded in his chest. A woman was slowly making her way through the door. The pounding of his heart accelerated when he recognized her.

"Ms. Granger! You, girl," Severus repeated the mantra 'must maintain cruel facade' to himself. "look like you've been through Hades! What has happened to you?" She shot him this incredibly scathing look, one he himself would have been proud of, that said 'got it in one, Professor' and passed out. Severus leaped forward and caught her in his arms. he did realize that something was terribly wrong for the woman in his arms to have just fainted. Severus picked up her slight body, and she curled into him, as if trying to make herself smaller. He ran to the infirmary, yelling for Dumbledore.

He was halfway to the infirmary when Dumbledore caught up with him. He didn't say a word, and ran with Severus. Had Severus been able, he would have wondered how a man of Albus' age could keep up with a 40 year old. However, at the moment, all Severus' worries and thoughts were focused on the woman in his own arms. He was taking in her torn clothing, half healed wounds, bruises, and the bloody knife she had yet to let go of. Severus put this all together and it clicked just as he stepped into the infirmary.

"POPPY!" He bellowed out the call in the voice that made his seventh years cower. Poppy Pomfry burst out of her office with a look on her face that clearly said 'how is the world ending.' Severus gently put Hermione on the nearest bed. Poppy came over to look and gasped.

"W-what happened?" Severus shot a glare at her.

"Don't stutter woman! She was raped!" She returned a glare and went to work on the wounds that weren't covered by the rags hanging on her frame. She closed the curtain with a wave of her wand, effectively blocking Albus and he out. Severus found himself trying to stare through the curtain when Albus cleared his throat.

"What happened Severus?" He asked in his damnable gentle voice. Understandable though, as Severus was practically blowing flames from his nostrils. He turned to the Headmaster and his shoulders sagged. It was as though Hermione's rape affected him personally. And indeed it did, because he knew what she would go through. Severus knew that her friends wouldn't be able to help her, and he knew that the love he had harbored for her since her sixth year wouldn't allow him to abandon her when he knew he could help. Damn.

"A feeling of danger woke me this morning with the sun. It lured me to the main entrance. It was luring me farther, but I wouldn't go. Ms. Granger pushed through the door looking like that. I asked her what happened, she glared at me, then she fainted."

"How did you come to the conclusion that she was raped, Severus." Severus knew Albus wasn't accusing him of anything. Albus Dumbledore was probably the only one alive who wouldn't.

"I've seen enough rape victims to know, Albus" Albus knew what he meant. He knew that Severus was actually saying that he had raped a sufficient number of women to know what a fresh victim looked like. He also knew that Severus was penitent. Severus suspected that Albus also knew, or at least suspected, of his carefully hidden feelings for said victim. Of course, Albus had to go and say the words that Severus knew were true, but did not want to hear.

"You are the only one here who can help her Severus." Severus glared at Albus, spun around, and stomped back to his dungeons. Severus did not need to tell him that he'd be back. He was just going to brew Poppy some potions to give Hermione. Severus would be there when she woke up.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

She woke up in a familiar place, and thanked Merlin profusely. At first, she thought that she was back at her parents' house, getting ready for her research trip to Scotland. Then she remembered that her bedroom ceiling wasn't whitewashed stone. Her second thought had been that the past year had all been a weird dream she'd had during that terrible fever she'd had in seventh year. She was trying to convince herself of that fact when Snape came in. Carrying clean cloths that looked to be hers, and a potion that looked like an advanced healing potion. She didn't know if was that or the caring and worried, almost loving, look he had on his face confused her more. That was not the potions professor she knew and had fallen in lo- um…

Unfortunately, she had come to the conclusion – aided along by the horrible pain between her legs – that last night had happened, and that she had made it to the infirmary. It was too perfect in her mind that the last thing she saw before passing out was the shocked look on Snape's face. She snickered. That determined that she was still in shock, not quite letting last night sink in. Snape looked up at her snicker and smiled – SMILED – before he remembered to frown. That made a frown of her own crease her brow. Snape smiling? Surely he didn't even know how. She thought is was such a wonderful smile.

"Why don't you smile more often?" Her words came out sounding hoarse and dry. Snape smiled again and helped her sit up so that she could drink the water in his hand.

"I have a reputation to uphold, Ms. Granger. What would the Slytherins think about their Deatheater Head of House smiling?" An involuntary gasp escaped her throat. She knew Snape was a spy, that he had the dark mark, but she'd never really heard it out loud. Snape chuckled.

"You know, Professor, you really should do that more. Smile and laugh, I mean. And call me Hermione please." She added the last, a light blush coloring her cheeks. She didn't want him to think she was referring to him holding her, no matter that it was for the sake of getting a potion down her throat. She thought that after last night she wouldn't be able to let any man touch her again, but she felt safe with Severus Snape. Imagine that. The know-it-all Hermione Granger feeling safe with her worst hated and most lo- damn it there she went again.

"Its not often I have something to smile for Hermione." Snape's expression suddenly turned serious. "Hermione." He said her name in a serious, concerned voice as he brushed a bit of hair from her face. "Hermione, what happened to you?" Normal people would have gone on in an effort to smooth the question, and would have only succeeded in making it worse. But not Severus Snape. That was something else she lo-

She bowed her head, all her previous good humor seeming to have just left her body. She felt her heart stop when he asked that question. Oh, she knew it would come, but she wanted to bask in her denial a little longer, if not forever. Every emotion she had ever felt came up into her throat and lodged there. She grabbed the water from her professor's hands and gulped it down until he took it away from her.

"Not so fast Hermione." Snape took her chin and tilted her head up. "You answer that question only when you are ready, but Do Not stay in denial. That is more dangerous to you than just wallowing in despair." While he said this, the Potion's Master looked into her eyes. Her eyes swelled with tears. She had not expected that. She also did not expect the tenderness she saw in her professor's eyes. That was something she'd never expected to see in the almost-black eyes she lo- Damn it!

When she could speak, it was in a tear filled voice though nary a tear had fallen that morning. "They were muggles." That's all she would say for the rest of the morning. She then curled up into a ball and let the tears fall. The flood just started anew when Severus Snape, fear Potions Master, sat on the bed and pulled the distraught woman into his arms. She allowed herself to curl into his chest, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She cried silently for hours before falling asleep from emotional and physical exhaustion. That is how the headmaster, nurse, and headmistress found them. The sleeping woman curled in the arms of the also snoozing Potions Master. All three decided to let them sleep, since they knew that Severus had not slept in the two days the young woman had fallen into his arms – literally – and the young woman's ordeal none of them could imagine.


	3. Chapter 3

That is how the headmaster, nurse, and headmistress found them. The sleeping woman curled in the arms of the also snoozing Potions Master. All three decided to let them sleep, since they knew that Severus had not slept in the two days the young woman had fallen into his arms – literally – and the young woman's ordeal none of them could imagine.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus woke with an ache in his neck, but also a strange feeling of 'Home.' Hermione was still in a peaceful slumber, and as he had no wish to disturb that which may be her last for a long time, he didn't move. Instead he thought back to her sixth year, when he realized he had fallen in love with her.

She had been running from the library because she was late for curfew. She had somehow known that it was his night to patrol the halls, so she didn't bother with stealth, just outright ran, hoping, he supposed, that he was elsewhere. He wasn't. She crashed in to him, and had he not been who he was, they both would have been sprawled on the floor. Instead, she was in his arms (arms that had gone around her in reaction to the impact), snug against his body. Even as he snarled at her, he couldn't ignore the sparks and pure electricity that the position brought to him. She was staring at him with eyes wide in surprise, but not fear.

_"Ms. Granger! Not only are you out past curfew, but you don't watch where you are going. Which results in you barreling down a hallway and undoubtedly knocking everything down. 50 points from Gryffindor for being out past curfew, and 25 more points from you for running in the hallways!" _The surprise in her eyes turned to fury as she pushed back from his chest. He cringed inside, but he had not really know any other way to react.

_"Well, if I hadn't been in the library researching for YOUR homework, I may not have been out past curfew. And in an effort to make it back to my dorms to save YOU the trouble of bothering with me, I ran. It certainly is not my fault that you, with your black robes and hair, look like part of the shadows!" _She had her hands on her hips, fury burning bright in her eyes. He was so taken back by that beautiful sight that he forgot to take points for talking back to a teacher.

_"Ms. Granger, if you would return to your dorms, and make sure I don't ever catch you out past lights out again." _She picked up her books and fled. Once out of his sight, his anger at her bubbled up. How dare she talk back to him? On his way back to his rooms he decided that he liked that look on her. She was breathtaking when she was angry. With her body pressed so close to his own, he couldn't help but feel how she'd filled out. She was no longer the first year he had striven to keep imposed over her actual shape. She was a gorgeous 16 – 17 because of the time turner – year old with a fiery temper. As he entered his chambers, he found himself wondering if she would have that much fire in her eyes in the midst of passion.

He had snarled at that thought, and was determined to make her life hell. He couldn't have her – she, a student; He, a teacher – so he would make her miserable. It wasn't like he was pushing her away –she'd never love him anyway. He had frozen with that thought, in shock at himself for even thinking such things. He had fallen in love with Ms. Know-it-all-Granger. As muggles said, perhaps Hell just froze over.

Severus wasn't the man he strove to convince the students he was. He used to be, but then Lily and James died – killed by the very man he called Master – and he had gone to Dumbledore. Despite what everyone thought, James and Lilly Potter were his best friends, even though the mutt and the wolf did not approve.

He had known that a lack of a body wouldn't keep Tom Riddle down. It had taken nearly fifteen years, but he had learned to be human again. And the first thing he had to go and do with his newfound humanity was fall in love with his best student, one of the Golden Trio. The very kind of witch that he, as a deatheater, was supposed to despise with his whole being, became the center of his attention for the rest of her sixth, and all of her seventh year. He had always enjoyed irony, when someone else was the victim. Now that he was said victim, he found himself despising it.

Oh, he was careful that no one knew of his new affections for Hermione. Until three days ago when he ran with her in his arms to the infirmary, he was sure that not even Dumbledore suspected anything. Now that no students were around, and she herself had graduated three terms before, he could at least be human. He had decided, whilst brewing the potion he was about to give her, that he would let her get to know the real Severus Snape. He was still miserable, guilt-ridden, and surly on the best of days, he just wasn't evil. He knew that she would never love him, but perhaps a friend could be found in her.

He moved to put her down in the bed, made sure she could easily see the clean cloths he had retrieved from her trunk after Minerva went to the hotel she was staying at, and got them. She was to be put in a set of chambers next to his own. He didn't want to see her reaction to that. Now that she had woken up, he was going to shower and change. He had been planning on a nap, but seeing as how he had fallen asleep with the lovely Hermione, that could be crossed off the list.

Moving to his chambers with years of practiced ease, sliding from one shadow to the next, he finally allowed his thoughts to return to this morning, and the last thing Hermione had said.

"They were muggles." His whole body had frozen before he had gotten into her bed and pulled her into his arms. Now she didn't even have the comfort of knowing that there was nothing she could have done. She didn't have the comfort of knowing that wizards cast spells on her, such as the Imperious curse (allowed the caster full control of the target, one of the Unforgivable Curses), that she couldn't have done anything. The 'They' part suggested more than one assailant. And knowing that Ms. Granger was the top of her class, her *magic* class, would only make it worse. Severus just hoped that he could convince her that in a crises situation such as the one she had found herself in, the mind reverted back to what it knew as a child. In Hermione's case, the muggle way of doing things, as was proved by the bloody knife she had used as a portkey to get to Hogwarts.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

She woke up when she heard Poppy moving about the infirmary. She sat up feeling like something was off. It took her a minute, but she remembered. She had fallen asleep in Professor Snape's arms. How he must have hated that. She hadn't meant to, but she had been exhausted. No surprise really, considering what her week had been like. She wasn't going to start crying again, she wasn't going to cry, she was crying again damn it. Poppy heard her sobs and moved slowly into the curtained off area that was her 'room.'

"Good morning dear! Afternoon rather. Would you like something to eat?" Poppy had taken care of one or two rape victims, and she knew never to ask how they felt or how they were doing or anything of that nature.

She sniffled and nodded. With a flick of the nurse's wand, a house-elf came in carrying a tray of food. To her surprise, it was Dobby. The little house-elf still wore Harry's sock, along with a strange array of clothing. As Dobby slid the tray on the table that Poppy had conjured, She sniffled and noticed that at least the little elf had washed his clothing in the years since they had left.

"Dobby is glad Hermione Granger is back at Hogwarts. But Dobby wonders WHY Hermione Granger is back home." She shook her head at the elf and managed a weak smile.

"Its good to see you to, Dobby. And I am glad to be home. But, could you not ask about the why, right now please." Dobby smacked his hand against his forehead. Then he picked up a fork from the table in between them and started beating his head with it.

"Dobby should have known. Dobby stupid. Dobby sorry for upsetting Hermione Granger!" She grabbed at the fork that Dobby was using to punish himself with.

"Dobby no! You didn't upset me! I just…"

"Dobby, don't you have a job to do?" She jumped at the voice she was sure she wouldn't hear for quite some time. Obviously everyone knew what had happened to her, and so far the only people she had seen were the only professor that hated her, the nurse, and a wayward house-elf. She'd seen neither hide nor hair of the Head Master or her old Head of House. The two she was sure would show up. She snorted inwardly. It was the middle of the summer, assuredly they had better things to do. Her old professors certainly didn't need to bother with her. Which led her to wonder why this one kept showing up. She'd rather just wallow. Harry certainly perfected the art, why couldn't she?

"Dobby was welcoming Hermione Granger home to Hogwarts, Severus Snape! Dobby will go now!" Dobby scrambled off the bed and disappeared. Snape took his place as she kept her eyes on her platter filled with various fruits and meats. She picked meagerly at the food, steadfastly refusing to look up.

"Hermione, if you're going to ignore me, at least eat. All you're doing is pushing food around. I won't allow you to starve yourself." Still the same old Snape, she thought as she put a grape in her mouth and went back to pushing food around. The form in black robes sitting on the food of her bed did something she'd rarely hear him do. He laughed.

But he sobered quickly. "I'll feed you myself if I have to Hermione. One grape is not going to do." She put her knife and fork down and crossed her arms, keeping her eyes on the tray. She didn't know why, but she was feeling very immature. She didn't understand why Severus Snape kept coming around her. It made it seem like he cared, and she knew good and well that not even her two 'best friends' cared any more. Harry was too busy with Cho and Quidditch. Ron worked for his brothers while he went to college for something-or-another. He changed majors so often she wasn't sure what it was anymore. She hadn't spoken to either in a few months. Ginny was busy with her husband, Colin Creevey, whom had turned out to be a top rate Charms Master. His job was research and developmental Charms. Interesting job. Really. Not.

"What if I'm not hungry?" She spit out, all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep. She really wasn't hungry, but she had sense enough to know that if she didn't eat, she wouldn't in the long run, and she'd just get sicker. She just couldn't bring herself to eat when her mind kept wandering to 'that night' as she'd dubbed it, and why she hadn't gone for her wand.

"You only think you aren't." She snorted at his answer. Something she'd expected from the surly Potions Master. She pushed the table away so she could lay down. She curled up around a pillow she'd taken from anther bed and curled around it, closing her eyes. She'd yet to even look at Severus Snape.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

He hated to see her like this. Strange, because he normally loved to see people suffer. Hermione Granger just broke all the rules with him. He cringed when she said that to him, the first words she'd said since he'd come back. "What if I'm not hungry?" Oh, he knew that she felt alone. He just hated that she hated him. It was going to be hard to help her with her hate between them.

He sat down on the bed below her feet and pulled her up, gently pulling her face up to look at him. He knew that his face bore none of the expressions that students ever saw on him, some might even go as far as to call the expression a gentle and caring one.

"Hermione, you need to eat, and you can not sleep all of the time. Albus has gone to fetch Minerva, and they should be arriving sometime this evening. Now, you may come to the great hall for supper, or have your meal in here. Either way I will be with you to make sure you eat it." Without knowing it, he had answered two of her questions. He was also yet unaware that the two he was speaking about were already back, and were waiting until he returned to Albus' office. She looked into his eyes, and he fought his desire to fall into those chocolate eyes. Eyes that were watering up again. His heart twisted in his chest when she asked her next question, from the question itself as much as the utter confusion, simple agony, and small spark of hope he read in her lovely eyes.

"Why are you doing this Professor? Why do you even care – or pretend to care?" Severus ran his hand up her jaw and settled it upon her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into it, a small crystal-like tear leaking from her eye to his hand.

"Hermione, I never did *not* care. I'm also quite possible the only person here who will be able to help you. You shouldn't complain – I doubt that Misters Weasley and Potter will come running when - if - you decide to let them know about your attack. You will need a friend. Now come and finish your lunch. If you'd like I'll call for my own in here and will eat with you." The spark of hope that had grown and brightened in her eyes belied the look of bewilderment on her face.

"I'm shocked Professor. I had thought – like everyone else – that you were just a heartless bastard. It seems that the assumption isn't entirely true." She sat up and pulled the table back. "I would like for you to join me with lunch Professor."

"You are no longer a student Hermione. Call me Severus." He told her as he waved his wand, summing a house elf. The other free elf in Hogwarts employ – Wendy he believed – came in. "Fetch my lunch. I'll take it in here." The elf nodded and left the room. In short order his own lunch was on the table between himself and the younger woman before him. He kept bite for bite what she ate, watching her carefully, and encouraging her to take another bite when she moved to lay down her fork. When they had finished enough of the meal that he was satisfied, he called for an elf to take the dishes away. He did not want to bring up her ordeal again, but it was a subject that had to be broached.

"So, Prof-Severus, when are the Head-master and Deputy-Head-mistress supposed to arrive?" She interrupted him, and he was a little relieved.

"Soon. Hermione, the potion I gave you healed your physical wounds, but Poppy will want to give you a contraceptive potion. It – angers – me to think that this would have to happen to you, that such precautions should have to be taken for any reason." Bloody Hell, her head was bowed again, and the smile she'd had on through lunch had disappeared. He cursed inwardly at himself.

"As that is a potion I've had no reason to look up, what would exactly be the side effects and results?" her words were covered by her hair, so that he barely heard them. He reached out and brushed her hair aside, and lifted her chin.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

She was surprised at the subject her old professor had brought up… simply because she had not thought of it. She new that the use of contraceptives, after possible conception, was considered by some to be abortion. That particular argument had made no sense to her. Abortion was the woman's business, not the government's or the general publics'.

She had never had a personal problem with abortion. In the muggle world, the issue was much larger than in the wizarding world. Either way, her personal opinion was that if you didn't want the child, while carry it full term just to give it away? There were enough children placed in foster care because of deceased guardians, the totally abandoned and unwanted children got left behind. Why subject a child to a life knowing that they weren't wanted by their birth-mother?

She certainly didn't want any child that would come from this. She knew… if she were to keep a child that came from this, even without meaning to, she would look at it with loathing and disgust. No child deserved that. One of her 'best friend's were brought up like that. It certainly didn't turn out exceptionally well.

"As that is a potion I've had no reason to look up, what would exactly be the side effects and results?" She felt Severus push her hair away, and lift up her face. She was well aware of the tears in her eyes.

"The potion would force your body onto a Cycle. Your body would discharge any fertilized eggs, as well as any left over semen. Some side effects might be severe cramping and headaches, much like the muggle 'day-after' pill." She took a shaky deep breath and nodded.

"Is it a one dose, or will I have to take it over time?" Her voice shook, and she was on the verge of tears yet again. There was a pained look on Severus' face. She wasn't sure whether it was from guilt over bringing up the subject, or dread of the incoming tears. Either way, she fought to keep said tears at bay.

"One dose should be plenty, but you'd have to speak with Poppy to be sure." Severus wiped a tear that had fallen from her eye away with his calloused thumb. Calloused from holding knives and stirring rods and quills. She could certainly tell, just from his hands, that he worked with them all of the time. "Would you like me to exit the room after I fetch Poppy?" She shook her head, still looking at him. Regretfully, he moved away from her and turned to retrieve Poppy. He followed the medi-witch back in, and stayed on the edge of the curtained off area.

"Albus and Minerva are waiting in his office, for your arrival Severus. Why don't you go and greet them while I take care of Ms. Granger here?" She put a small hand on the witch's arm.

"I would prefer if he stay Madame Pomfry. Couldn't you send an elf to get the Head Master and Professor McGonagall?" Poppy looked surprised as Severus just summoned an elf to do as she had suggested. Poppy had to go through the general list of effects and making sure that she had no problem taking the potion – including asking if she were allergic to any of the ingredients. As soon as Poppy was done, she downed the potion just as Albus and Minerva walked in behind Severus.

The twinkle that usually lightened the Headmaster's eyes was not present, but the smile was. Minerva looked like she wanted to mother her, and she didn't think she would be able to stand that.

"Ms. Granger. I am glad you found your way back to the school, we have missed you here." Albus gave his greeting, waiting for a sign from her telling him what he could do without frightening her.

"Thank you Headmaster. Hello Professor McGonagall. Please do not treat me as if I am about to break, I'm not made of crystal." She managed a small smile, fidgeting with the edge of the blanked piled around her waist. "I do hope I did not pull you away from something Professor McGonagall, Headmaster."

"Please dear girl, call me Minerva, you are no longer a student. And of course you didn't interrupt anything dear. This old woman was only relaxing for the day. I was coming back tomorrow anyhow, so don't you worry." McGonagall said, taking a tentative step forward.

"Yes, and please call me Albus, Ms. Granger." She smiled a bit more.

"Only if you will call me Hermione." Both the professors smiled.

"Hermione, I wish to offer you a teaching position. We have a month until school starts, and you wouldn't have to teach until you feel you are ready, but our Muggle Studies Professor, unfortunately, had to leave." She glanced to Severus, and his nod confirmed her thought. Well, it certainly was an odd subject for a deatheater to teach.

"I would be pleased and honored to do so Albus, I just ask that I be allowed to continue my research." She brightened at the job offer, and sighed in relief at not being made to leave the safety of Hogwarts come September.


	4. Chapter 4

August. …

She looked up from her work as an elf brought her breakfast in. The students would be arriving in a week or so, and she very much not ready to face more people. As it was, she had still failed to contact either of her 'best friends,' leaving them to their lives and telling Severus that she would get to it when she had the time. She 'hadn't had the time' yet. Courage was a more appropriate term for what she had nothing of. And her, a lion. That gave her an idea. She knew that Severus was working on lesson plans, so he wouldn't try to interfere, and Albus and Minerva were in Hogsmeade, on their last day off. Most of the other professors were spending their day as thus. Preparations for school would begin in earnest tomorrow. Letters had been sent out to the new students a month before, and there seemed to be no problems there.

So the school was essentially empty. Save her, Severus, and that dreadful divinations teacher. Her lips lifted into a smirk, an expression that appeared more often on her face now than a smile, and she made her way to her office door. She remembered the awe she had over the ragged old sorting hat that sang it's song before sorting the first years. She had come to discover that it was much more than that though, in her second year when Harry told her of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, and how Fawks had come with the old hat. So, she would see what the hat had to say about her situation – especially these feelings for Severus she thought she had suppressed.

She approached the gargoyle that was the entrance to the Headmaster's office. She whispered the password and watched carefully as the statue slid aside. She didn't know why, but she just felt that she needed to sneak at this. She approached the top of the stairs and heard voices. Two voices talking either back and forth, or to a third party. She couldn't quite make out the words yet. She snuck closer and gasped out loud. The two voices were Harry and Ron's! It seemed that they were talking to Albus. But when had the Headmaster returned? The old man said that he'd take lunch with her if her were back in time.

She got closer to the door. She could now make out words. And the first set she heard were Ron's.

"We are her best friends! We should have been notified as soon as it happened. We should have been there for her! So don't tell us we can't see her now! We came here to you to see if you could help us find her, for she had been missing for most of the summer, and we find she's been here all along, after being RAPED?"

"Mr. Weasley, it was her choice on whether or not to inform the two of you. Severus has been helping her through it…" Albus tried to placate the enraged redhead, but he interrupted.

"Then that's it. He is why she hasn't contacted us yet. He has taken advantage of Hermione in a venerable time, and brain washed her!" with that, Albus stood up, towering over the two men, Harry though it seemed was still in shock. Albus was about to … well tell Ron off but Hermione beat him to the defense of the man who saved her.

"DON'T YOU DARE RONALD WEASLEY!" Her first shout shocked the three men into silence. "Don't you even dare accuse Severus of such things! He has been there for me, in truth he is the only one who could have been! I didn't contact the two of you because I figured that you'd both be too involved in your own lives of Quidditch, switching majors, and women to have the time for someone neither of you had even talked to in over six months! So Don't YOU DARE COME IN HERE CLAIMING TO BE THE ONES WHO COULD OF HELPED ME! YOU STOPPED BEING THERE FOR ME WHEN WE GRADUATED! SO YOU TWO CAN JUST GET OUT OF HERE, OR AT THE VERY LEAST STAY THE BLOODY HELL AWAY FROM ME!" She had tears leaking out of her eyes, her hands fisted at her sides, and her chest was heaving. She spun around on her heel and stomped all the way down the stairs from the Headmasters office, and then took off running to Severus' office, where she knew he'd be.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

And indeed he was, working on the last of his lesson plans. His attention was not on the plans though…they were on Hermione. The girl – no, woman – he may very well have fallen in love with during her time at Hogwarts. Oh, he knew that if he had, he would never be able to pinpoint a moment that he had fallen in love(just the moment he realized it). He knew that if he was, it had happened gradually over six of the years she had been there. He truly had despised that 'know-it-all' attitude, but he saw her potential… the potential he saw didn't compare with the reality of today. She was a strong woman to have survived such an event and still be able to trust anyone, like he knew he trusted Albus and even…even himself. A woman who had just came flying into his office – and on to his lap – in body wracking sobs.

As in her sixth year, his arms went automatically around her, but this time they stayed there as Severus rocked and 'shhh'sed into the sobbing woman's ear. He rubbed circles on her back; something he had discovered calmed her wonderfully. Soon her sobs were down to sniffles and a mere trickling of tears. Her head had been buried against her shoulder, a shoulder that was soaked. But Severus Snape didn't really even notice… all he cared about at that moment was what had set the precious bundle in his arms off. Of course, with the enraged shouting of one Mr. Ron Weasley and the quieter murmurings of one Mr. Harry 'the-one-who-lived' Potter coming down the hall towards his office, he had a pretty good idea. Severus could tell when Hermione noticed, because her whimpers heightened, and her grip on his waist tightened. Hermione started to cry again, so Severus stood and disappeared into his quarters through the hidden door in his office just seconds before an enraged red-head came blazing in.

In his rooms, Severus set Hermione down on the couch and whispered that he was getting her some tea before she would let go. When he came out of his little kitchen he found that Hermione had fallen asleep. Well, there went their plans for dinner. Severus really couldn't fault her; he knew she wasn't ready to really face anyone from her life outside of Hogwarts. Now that the angel on his couch was not awake to see it, he let his rage at the two careless boys out. He threw some dust into the fireplace and called out "Albus Dumbledore" and the Headmaster's head appeared in the green flames.

"Hello Severus. I can only assume that you have discovered Mr.'s Potter and Weasley's presence here?" At the irate Potions Master's nod, the Headmaster continued. "I assure you that I did not inform them of our Hermione's presence here, or the reason's behind it. To be honest I do not know how they tracked her here, as the wards on our school should have stopped any tracing spells. We agreed that her confrontation with these two was to be her choice… I honestly am at a loss for how they knew of her situation." That worry eased from Severus' mind, and some of the rage melted out of him.

"Then what are we going to do about the unwanted guests in my office?"

"Harry had promised to have Ronald out of here by morning. Mr. Potter seems to be much more rational about this whole mess than Mr. Weasley. Harry has promised to inform our Hermione's parents of her whereabouts, but not of her situation. That too must be her decision. I trust you will have no problems with keeping her in your rooms tonight, as her own rooms will be one of the next places the boys look." Severus informed the Headmaster that he had not problems keeping Hermione, and said good night.

Severus picked the sleeping angel and carried her to his own bed. He removed her shoes and outer cloaks and discovered she was wearing a rather short skirt and a thin and tight white shirt leaving her black bra to be seen through the material. Severus bit his lip and covered her up with the quilt, and made his own way back to the tea he had set down. Warming it with a quick charm, he sat in his favorite chair to just think as he sipped from the tea. To think about Hermione, and how beautiful she had looked, and how just the sight of the black material under her shirt and her long pale legs affected him. Although if he wanted that affect to go away, he needed to stop thinking about the cause.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Later, she woke fitfully to find herself in a strange place. It was pleasant, a bedroom decorated in dark greens and darker wood grains. It felt very comfortable, and smelled like Severus' aftershave. She discovered that the sheets covering her were black silk, and that was the final straw. She knew she was in Severus' room. She didn't know how she got there though. She just remembered running to Severus and sobbing in his lap, then him sitting her down on a couch, going to get her some tea. She just assumed that she had fallen asleep and Severus had moved her here. She was glad he didn't take her back to her own rooms, as she knew that Harry and Ron would look for her there.

She threw the sheets off, and discovered that her shoes and outer robes were missing. She was glad that she had decided to put on something under them today. Usually she just wore her under things and a slip under her robes. Although she wasn't sure what she had put on counted as her bra was plainly visible and the skirt was rather short. She found her robes over a chair nearby and wandered out into the outer rooms. She spotted Severus in his favorite chair, fast asleep, an empty teacup still in his hand. She smiled one of her –now rare- genuine smiled as she removed the cup from his hand, washed it, and put it in the cupboard.

She marveled at the man in front of her as she sat on the couch, her feet curled up beneath her. She absentmindedly waved her wand and muttered a charm, bringing a teacup, tea bag, and the teakettle to her. Suspending the kettle and putting a fire under it, she waited for the water to warm as she stared at Severus. She was still having a hard time understanding why the man cared for her so much, but she enjoyed having a friend who understood her situation, even though he had experienced the 'situation' from the other end.

The things Severus had done when he was a Deatheater were none of her business; even so, she forgave him for it all. He knew it too; at least she was pretty sure he did. Either way, she knew that he was a good man, and didn't fault him for the mistakes made during youth. After all, she had been there. Perhaps not to that extreme, but during her seventh year she certainly had rebelled. Rebelled against her perfect parents, her perfect friends, her perfectly innocent life. Mostly it was because she finally realized she had fallen for the most hated professor, and couldn't have him. For two reasons – one being that he was a professor and she a student, and two being that he would never want her. Interestingly enough, she and Draco had ended up being fuck buddies. They were still friends. After 6th year everyone knew that Draco wasn't a deatheater to be…as he and the Golden Trio brought down Voldemort while protecting an injured Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfry. Draco had become tentative friends with the trio after that. Seventh year Harry and Ron turned into worse pricks than Draco had ever been. She and him just sort of naturally turned to each other, as there really was no one else, even for two of the heroes of their world. Of course, now they knew better, as Voldemort had once again survived and was once again terrorizing their world.

The two of them had had some fun though, and they stirred up the social structure of Hogwarts, and the ripples were felt through out the 'pure-blood' families. That had been fun, and the two were still friends. They had gotten into some dark stuff though. Almost got kicked out of Hogwarts, and they both got their Head Girl and Head Boy badges taken away. And that was the only time they had gotten caught.

That was in between Severus making her student life a living hell. She still didn't know why he hated her so much during her seventh year, while she wanted him more and more. Draco knew, of course, though she had never actually told him. She was thankful, because he never told anyone else. Draco was one person she didn't need to tell. He always seemed to know where she was. She had received an owl two weeks after she had gotten here, telling her that he would be there as soon as his job let him, but as an auror he didn't get much time off. She wasn't worried about Draco, she just didn't want to face Harry or Ron, especially after what Ron had been saying.

The whistle of the teakettle snapped her out of her memories and she put out the fire and poured the hot water into her cup so the tea could seep. Banishing the teakettle to the counter top, she sipped at her tea as she watched Severus sleep. Halfway through her tea, Ron bursts into Severus' room, surprising him awake, and causing her to spill her hot tea on herself.

Severus was up on his feet, his wand in Ron's face within seconds. She hissed as the hot tea hit her skin, and quickly cast a drying charm. She then rose and made her way to behind Severus. Severus who was growling at the red-headed furious gorilla in front of them, and the exasperated hero still in the doorway.

"Bloody Hell Ron are you trying to get killed? You should have figured out that Hermione didn't want to be found when she wasn't in her rooms! Lets go! When she wants to talk to us, she'll find us!" Harry was trying to coax the redhead out of the Potion Master's quarters. It wasn't really working.

"You bastard! You've brainwashed her! I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one that raped her!" and that was as far as the red head got before she exploded.

Her voice was low and dangerous, icier than any of the three men had ever heard. Harry immediately stepped back at the plain rage he heard from her, Ron just stared at her, and Severus looked at her with concern. "Ronald Weasley. If you must know, three muggle men raped me. I have warned you about talking about Severus like that. If you think I am going to let you get away with talking about the man who has saved my life, it is you who are insane. I told you to leave, that does NOT mean come looking for me because little Hermione can't take care of herself. Where was Ronald Weasley when I was being raped? Probably fucking one of your girlfriends. Where was Harry? Playing Quidditch. You cannot come in here claiming that you would have been better for me. Obviously you weren't there… Severus has been. I now suggest that you leave – and do not come looking for me again. I don't want to see you right now, and when and if I do, I will contact you." Ron just couldn't accept this as an answer.

"Now come on 'Mione. You don't really mean that. You know that we'd have been there had you just owled. Besides, since we are on the subject of who was there and who wasn't… where was Malfoy during all this?" Ron's voice got cocky, until a new voice shot him down in a tone just as cold as Hermione's had been.

"Doing my job Weasley. Hunting down those muggles and dealing with them. Setting the other 16 women that they held captive free, and obliterating their memories so that they may go on with their lives and not have to live through what those pigs put them through everyday. What was that you were doing? Shagging? And you Potter? You had a broomstick between your legs. The lady asked – no, told you to leave. I suggest you do so, because if she does not force you out, Severus or myself will." She edged towards the voice, staying mostly behind Severus, until she was sure the voice had belonged to who she thought. Then she ran to the platinum blond and threw her arms around him.

"Draco!" Then she backed up and glared at him. He chuckled.

"You've been taking lessons from Severus Hermi. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. The Ministry wanted me to finish one last assignment before transferring." She narrowed her eyes at her blond devil and then at her potions professor before realizing that the two men were still there.

"You two have been told to leave. I suggest you do so before I call Albus to kick you out. Do not doubt that he will at my request." She had called back that cold tone that told of the coldest of hearts. Harry grabbed Ron's arm and some Floo powder off of Serverus' mantel and called out 'The Burrow' before Ron had recovered from the shock he had gotten when Draco had answered his question. It was up for debate on whether he was shocked by Draco just being there, or the implications of what he had said, or the fact that she had ran to him. She turned back to Draco. "What do you mean about being transferred?"

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Unconsciously, she had moved back behind Serverus. Draco saw, and was not bothered by it…much. He knew that his own godfather had been her salvage in such times, and didn't let the fact that she took shelter in the professor now, instead of him as it used to be.

"Dare I suggest that we all sit down and have a cup of tea?" Severus broke into the little conversation. Hermione sighed with relief, and Draco knew that Severus was the only man she truly trusted. That was alright though, because he knew that his Hermi would come to trust him again with time. Time was something he had.

"Certainly Severus. I'm earlier than was expected, and I did want to tell the two of you this personally." Hermione sat down on the couch where she was before, her feet curled under her. Severus sat next to her and she shifted so that she was snuggled against his side. Draco knew it wasn't sexual, Hermi wasn't ready for that yet, but he also knew the hearts of his best friend and his godfather. The love was there; time would work its will, no doubt. The only question on his mind was where would that leave him?

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus was shaken awake by a large figure with atrocious red hair bursting into his living quarters. He was up on his feet, his wand in Weasley's face within seconds. He heard Hermione hiss and then cast a drying charm. She then rose and made her way behind him. He was growling at the men that had burst into his quarters.

"Bloody Hell Ron are you trying to get killed? You should have figured out that Hermione didn't want to be found when she wasn't in her rooms! Lets go! When she wants to talk to us, she'll find us!" Mr. Potter was trying to coax the comically furious redhead out of his quarters. It wasn't really working.

"You bastard! You've brainwashed her! I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one that raped her!" and that was as far as the furious gorilla got before his Hermione exploded.

Her voice was low and dangerous, icier than he had ever heard. Mr. Potter immediately stepped back at the plain rage he heard from her, the gorilla just stared at her, and he glanced at her with concern. "Ronald Weasley. If you must know, three muggle men raped me. I have warned you about talking about Severus like that. If you think I am going to let you get away with talking about the man who has saved my life, it is you who are insane. I told you to leave, that does NOT mean come looking for me because little Hermione can't take care of herself. Well Ronald Weasley when I was being raped? Probably fucking one of your girlfriends. Where was Harry? Playing Quidditch. You cannot come in here claiming that you would have been better for me. Obviously you weren't there… Severus has been. I now suggest that you leave – and do not come looking for me again. I don't want to see you right now, and when and if I do, I will contact you." The gorilla just couldn't accept this as an answer.

"Now come on 'Mione. You don't really mean that. You know that we'd have been there had you just owled. Besides, since we are on the subject of who was there and who wasn't… where was Malfoy during all this?" the ignoramus gorilla's voice got cocky, until a new voice shot him down in a tone just as cold as Hermione's had been. Severus recognized the voice immediately and his smirk only grew.

"Doing my job Weasley. Hunting down those muggles and dealing with them. Setting the other 16 women that they held captive free, and obliterating their memories so that they may go on with their lives and not have to live through what those pigs put them through everyday. What was that you were doing? Shagging? And you Potter? You had a broomstick between your legs. The lady asked – no, told – you to leave. I suggest you do so, because if she does not force you out, Severus or myself will." Severus could feel Hermione edging towards the voice, staying mostly behind him before running to the platinum blond and throwing her arms around him. Severus could only assume that the other man came by Floo.

"Draco!" Severus heard her exclamation and then Draco's chuckle.

"You've been taking lessons from Severus Hermi. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. The Ministry wanted me to finish one last assignment before transferring." Severus could tell Hermione was reacting, but he wasn't about to remove his attention away from the irate Weasley in front of him.

"You two have been told to leave. I suggest you do so before I call Albus to kick you out. Do not doubt that he will at my request." Hermione had returned to using that cold tone. Harry grabbed Ron's arm and some Floo powder off of his mantel and called out 'The Burrow' before the idiot gorilla had recovered from the shock he had gotten when his godson had answered his question. Severs turned around and was wondering about Draco's comment about a transfer when his Hermione beat him to it. "What do you mean about being transfered?"

Hermione moved back to Severus' side, and he saw the look on his godson's face, the one that said 'I don't mind but I really do.'

"Dare I suggest that we all sit down and have a cup of tea?" Severus finally got tired of it and broke the silence. Hermione sighed with relief and he laid a hand on her shoulder to lead her to the couch.

"Certainly Severus. I'm earlier than was expected, and I did want to tell the two of you this personally." Hermione sat down on the couch where she was before, her feet curled under her. Severus sat next to her and she shifted so that she was snuggled against his side. After the view he had been afforded when he put her to bed earlier in mind, he tried not to squirm.

"So what is this piece of news you have for us Draco?" Hermione said as he summoned the tea. Draco smiled at them.

"Well, Severus you won't be happy to know that I am the new DADA professor, but I do hope that you aren't as angered as normal as you know you can trust me to be competent in this job. Hermi, I know you will just be happy that I am here." His godson chuckled as he growled at him, but he was right. At least this time a competent party would be teaching the class. Hermione was half asleep beside him and he smiled at her words.

"Mm hum Draco. Glad you're here. Have both my Slytherin men with me now."

"I will be back in a moment Draco." Severus distractedly mentioned to his godson as he shifted to pick up the angel next to him. He repeated his actions from earlier, taking her to his bed and removing her outer cloak, doing his best not to become distracted by her skimpy clothing. He covered her and returned to his godson.

"You love her don't you Severus." Severus was rather cut off guard by the question carelessly thrown at him as he stepped out of his bedchamber. He hesitated and then sat back down to his cuppa. He looked up at his godson with a shake of his head.

"Am I that obvious?" Severus asked Draco, unable to keep the plea from his voice. The boy had the nerve to chuckle.

"Only to me, it seems. No one else has noticed. Not even her. But then again, she is still scared. However, you happen to be the only man she trusts." Severus shook his head.

"Surely she must trust you." Draco smiled at Severus' denial.

"Oh, she will trust me again, but not right now. You have been the one that has been there for her Sev. I was out capturing the men and obliterating 16 muggle women's memories." Severus looked at his godson and shook his head as a realization hit him.

"I could ask the same question of you my boy. You have loved her since your repertoire in seventh year." Severus stated the fact, more than asked the question. It was Draco's turn to look surprised. Then he lowered his head to look at his tea.

"When she has recovered enough, at least we know that who ever she chooses will take good care of her Severus. Because we've been over for a long time."


	5. Chapter 5

Sept 1.

So it had finally arrived. The first day of school. The seventh years would have been in their 4th year. A mere three years had passed since she had herself graduated. She was home, and that she was thankful for. She just didn't want to face the students. Only the first, second, and third years didn't know her as their Head Girl of two years ago and it would be hard. At least Ginny had graduated the year before last. She wouldn't have to answer any of the sweet little redhead's questions. Ginny was the best female friend she had. Another person she hadn't talked to since it happened.

Maybe she'd rectify that this evening. Depended. At least she didn't have to show the first years around like she'd had to do in the last three years of her school life. Right now students would be loading up, never expecting that their Head Girl and Head Boy of just a few years previous would be their newest teachers. She had to admit that she was looking forward to their surprise when Albus introduced them.

Severus and Draco walked into her office and she smiled up at them. They were very similar. Both in their black robes and their stern glares. She just giggled at them both. Their glares turned to the exact same looks of befuddlement. That only made her giggle harder. When she calmed down they were both sitting in the chairs in front of her new desk.

"I'm sorry Severus, Draco. But you two came in here looking exactly alike, save your hair color and it was just so funny. Then you had to both get the same look." Draco smiled and Severus shook his head, trying to hide a small grin.

"Well Hermione what do you expect from us?" Draco asked her, not loosing his smile.

"Exactly that, which made it all the more funny." He chuckled and glanced at Severus.

"She knows us all to well Sev." The professor of potions glanced at his companion, raising an eyebrow.

"It seems she does. But that is beside the point. Hermione, if you feel you aren't ready for the flood of students, most of whom know the both of you, your classes can be pushed back another semester." She gave Severus this glare that made him grin.

"Severus I do believe that you know as well as I do that running from it will not do a bleeding thing to help me. If I let you push my classes back just one semester, I will let you offer and do the same thing again, and again after that." She looked at the looks on her men's faces, and knew that they were extremely pleased with her answer. She also didn't miss her own thoughts towards them, and pushed it aside.

"Indeed. I will inform the headmaster of your choice. I dare say he will be as pleased as I." Severus stood and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just know that if it does get to be to much, Hermione, you need not hesitate to interrupt my classes." And with that he was gone, leaving Draco and herself alone.

"I never knew what he was like Draco. Why does he not want people to know him?" She looked at her companion with a curious look on her face. Draco sighed and shook his head.

"Because of what he did in the first war, Hermione. He believes he must repent with his own unhappiness. Until recently he didn't realize that he had repented enough when he switched sides and began to teach the students the antidotes to his dark potions, when he began to spy for the side of light. He only saw that he deserved to be happy a mere three years ago. He's always been a good and loving man. He just made a wrong decision. Albeit one that got people killed."

"Does he think that being mean and scary and cruel will keep those who love him away?" She asked, true curiosity in her voice. She didn't understand why he thought the way he did. She was unaware of the affect of her mentioning love had on Draco.

"He used to. Until I grew up and made him realize it didn't work like that." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You made him see that those who loved him would not be deterred? When did this happen, and why didn't I know about it. If you were involved with him during the time I was involved with you I would have liked to have known."

"And what would you have done had you known that I was bisexual and involved with a professor? Ran and told Albus?" She was visibly miffed at his accusation.

"No! I would have asked to join you." This surprised Draco like nothing else had in a long time. His less than articulate answer showed evidence of this fact.

"Wha?" She giggled at the inarticulate sound that escaped his mouth.

"Yes Draco. I've been in love with the big mean scary Potions Professor since about the beginning of 7th year – which I'm quite surprised to learn you were unaware of. Although I had no idea that the two of you had been or are involved." Draco snapped out of it.

"Ahh. I see now. You realized you were in love with our Potions Professor and thought he'd never go for you – a student, a know-it-all – and got rebellious. With me. Well I'll have you know that our Professor had just broken it off with me as per excuse of I'm a student and it was illegal. Seems we got together for similar reasons." The pair laughed.

"No wonder we got along so well." The pair laughed at their similar attitudes. Then Draco sobered first, followed shortly by Hermione.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus walked out of Hermione's office to report to the Headmaster. He had a sudden desire to ease drop on the pair, but that would have been childish. He took the short cut that was outside each teacher's office to Albus' own office. He rapped on the door and replaced his small grin with his usual sneer when Albus responded with a "Come in Severus."

"You will be pleased to know that our audacious Know-it-all has refused the offer of delaying her face-off with the world, and many students that know her." The ever present twinkle in Albus' eyes increased as he nodded sagely.

"That is good to know. Even though, tell me Severus do you think that she will be able to handle it? I'll admit that I deliberately arranged it so that tomorrow's classes were first, second and third years. Just to give her that one more day before she ran into any of the students that she knew here as a student herself." He sighed with relief, grateful that the headmaster had given his Hermione that extra day. He truly didn't know if she'd ever be ready to face a large population of people on her own if they didn't force the issue.

"Of Course she is ready Albus. She is ready because she chooses to be. She is coming to trust Draco again, which is good." He sincerely hoped that Albus didn't notice the glimmer of jealously he felt. The glimmer disappeared from Albus' eyes and a concerned look came over his face, and the next words that came out of his mouth shocked Severus more than any he had said before.

"Are you ready to let her go Severus? How will you handle it, should Draco and Hermione choose each other and not you?" Severus stiffened – almost involuntarily – and felt the coldness fall over his features. It was an automatic reaction, even though he doubted seriously that the gesture fooled the man that was closer to being his father than his biological one had ever been.

"And why should it concern me who the two of them choose?" Severus rose stiffly and left the room, ignoring the sad look on Albus' face. He wished he had never heard Albus' departing comment.

"I hope, for your sake my boy, that this ménage-a-trios works out and the three of you aren't too stubborn."

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

She sat between Severus and Draco at the staff table in the Great Hall, waiting for the first years to be led in by Minerva. Her hands were hid under the table, so no one could see how she twisted and fidgeted with them. She could already see the older students mumbling about the two very familiar faces at the high table.

Then something curious happened. Just as the doors opened and Minerva stepped in, both her Slytherin boys grabbed one hand. They did it simultaneously, and she didn't think that they realized that the other one had done the same. However it happened, she was instantly at ease. She didn't really recognize any names, she just knew that Gryffindor house gained 7 students, Slytherin gained 9, Hufflepuff gained 11 and Ravenclaw gained 5. Once the last of those students had taken their seats, Albus stood and the hall silenced.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, and to you First years, just welcome! As you may have noticed we have two, not exactly new, faces up with your professors. Please welcome Draco Malfoy, your new DADA professor, and Hermione Granger, Professor of Muggle Studies." A roar of applause came from the students. From the elder students because they were still Hermione and Draco – the devilish duo – and from the younger students because there were two of the four heroes that saved the wizarding world.

Both she and Draco simply nodded. And if any students noticed her nervous manner or the lack of scowl on Severus' face (one that would usually be there in regards to a new DADA professor) not one reacted outwardly to it. Perhaps there just weren't any more observant students – which she found hard to believe because Slytherin simply wouldn't be unobservant. Although she might have to admit, with the ending of the war and so many of their parents in Azkaban, that skill might be turned inward.

She got through feast and back to her rooms without encountering any students. Well, it wasn't that hard, as she used the teacher's corridors. She'd even avoided Severus and Draco's company. She wanted to write to Ginny, and she didn't want to be talked out of it. She knew that both her boys would be opposed to bringing the red-headed – and bull-headed – witch around. Virginia Weasley was nothing short of a force of nature, something she got from her mother.

She snickered and shook her head as she sat down at her desk and dipped her quill in a shimmering iridescent ink.

_Dear Ginny, _

_I've no doubt that you've heard from Ron on this matter, and no doubt that he'd like to have convinced you that I've been brainwashed. I also have no doubt that if he had you'd have been here not long after, to save me. At which point I must thank you for ignoring the rant of your gorilla of a brother and waiting for me to contact you. _

_You know? In the months since **that night** I've never actually spoken – or written – the fact aloud? Perhaps doing so here will help. Here goes…_

_I was raped. By three Muggle men, and I didn't even lift my wand until I was away from them. I think that that is what still scares me the most. That I couldn't protect myself. But it is over now, and Severus has helped me deal with a good majority of the entire thing._

_I know that you are helping Colin with his research, but I wish to ask you to come here. I'd like to talk to you face to face, if it is at all possible. You see, the only ones I've really talked to have been Severus and Draco and I find myself in need of my only true female friend. _

_Immediately after I send this, I will inform Albus of my request. Write me back if you are able to come, and I'll make sure there are some rooms prepared for you for however long you wish to stay. _

_Your friend, _

_Hermione_

She folded the parchment and graced the back of it with her seal, a scroll crossed with a wand, imposed over and H. On the front she placed Ginny's address. She took her time in getting up to the owlery, because she knew that students would be unpacking and reacquainting themselves with their school friends. She smiled up at the school owls and a big black hawk owl flew down to her.

"So you're going to take this to Ginny for me?" The owl hooted and nipped at her nose. She tied the parchment to his leg and whispered the address to him. She opened the window and let the owl loose. "Hurry please!"

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

In a small London flat…

Ginny sat at her kitchen table and stared across it to where her husband should be. Would be if he weren't out on the streets of Muggle London, gallivanting with the prostitutes there. Always under the guise of working late. It was their one year anniversary, an even now he was out with some random slut, spending what little money he got from the Ministry and keeping them in this ratty little flat. No one knew the state her marriage was in, hell, had been in since the week after it started. And at first, she had believed him. Knew that Colin was dedicated to his work and she hadn't minded. Until one day one of his prostitutes came to her house to inform Colin that she was pregnant. Ginny had been so angry that she had aborted the child and obligated to woman's memory. Now, once the anger had settled to a low burning sorrow, she regretted taking that choice away from the woman. But, no woman would have a child with her husband while he still **was** her husband.

She had totally not expected the owl to tap on her window, and it brought her out of her thoughts. She stood sluggishly and went to the window.

"Hello friend. You're a Hogwarts bird aren't you?" The owl hooted and landed on the stand they kept by the window for the post owls. She fed it a dried apricot as she took the letter from it. She didn't even really look at it until she sat down at the table. Then she jumped with a start when she saw the seal and recognized it as Hermione's.

She read the first part of the letter and thought that, no, Ron hadn't told her anything. Harry had been the one to inform her that Hermione was missing. And he hadn't told her that she had been found at Hogwarts.

She moved on to the second part of the letter and gasped in horror. Raped! But Severus had been there, and Draco. Boy, that must have been a pain in the arse for Hermi. Both the men she was in love with. Yes, Ginny knew. Hermione was her best friend, and Ginny knew her well. Better than she knew herself, you could say, since Ginny wasn't fooled by the "fuck-buddy" label Hermione gave to Draco. She finished the letter and headed determinedly towards her and Colin's room to pack herself a trunk.

Then, packed and ready to go, she flooed the Headmaster and his head appeared in the fireplace.

"Ahh, Mrs. Creevey!" Ginny winced at that name. Albus took note and decided against the congratulations he was about to impart. "I see that Hermione has informed you. Very well, when will you be here?"

"Now, Headmaster." The twinkle returned to the Headmaster's eyes and he nodded.

"Very well. Floo into here and we'll get you some rooms. I'm afraid you just missed Hermione. Oh, and please call me Albus. After all you are graduated." Ginny didn't reply. She just waited for him to move so she could Floo in. Her trunk went first and she landed, sitting on the trunk. She dusted herself off and grinned at Albus.

"Alright Albus, but only if you call me Ginny." The Headmaster nodded and grinned.

"As you wish. Welcome back to Hogwarts." Ginny smiled and followed the summoned house-elf to her rooms.

Before the little elf could leave, Ginny asked, "Could you lead me to Professor Granger's quarters please?" The little elf nodded emphatically.

"Of course Pfixy can. Right this way Miz Ginny. Follows me!" Ginny chuckled and followed the happy little elf. She was just very thankful that Hermi had given up on SPEW after fifth year.

Ginny peacefully followed the spry little thing down to the dungeons. 'Figures she'd choose to be so near her Slytherins.' Ginny thought.

"Here we is, Miz Ginny!" and with a pop the elf was gone and she was left standing outside of a portrait of a dark haired woman with an aristocratic face. The woman looked down her nose at her.

"And who would you be? And why are you here?" Ginny grinned.

"I am Ginny and I am a friend of Hermione's." The woman's glance warmed slightly. "May I ask who you are?" Ginny asked as she knocked on the wall next to the portrait.

"Elizabeth Snape." Ginny gasped, and thought, 'Snape's mother?' Just before Hermione opened the door and smiled.

"Ginny! I didn't expect you this soon!" Hermione and Ginny embraced and Hermione nodded to the portrait. "Thank you Elizabeth." The portrait gave her a warm smile.

"I came this soon, Hermi, because I'm leaving Colin."


	6. Chapter 6

"Ginny! I didn't expect you this soon!" Hermione and Ginny embraced and Hermione nodded to the portrait. "Thank you Elizabeth." The portrait gave her a warm smile.

"I came this soon, Hermi, because I'm leaving Colin."

"You're leaving Colin." Hermione stared dumbly at her friend for a moment before sweeping her into a hug. A hug that Ginny was grateful for, and felt even more so knowing that Hermione had been raped, and being a Medi-witch she knew that rape victims often shied away from any physical contact for an extreme amount of time after the tragedy. "Come in Ginny! I'll get you some tea. I do believe that that we have some things to catch up on." Ginny nodded and smiled happily.

"I really am rather exhausted Hermi, and haven't had a proper cuppa since the last time I visited Mum. Which I'm ashamed to say was months ago. In fact, I think I may visit her this weekend. She would be delighted if you came, and I would make sure that we would be the only ones there. Of course I really must go down to the Ministry tomorrow to request a divorce." Ginny sighed gratefully when Hermione handed her a cup of mint tea and watched as her friend sunk down into the plush leather chair opposite her. Ginny could easily see why Hermione relaxed in that chair. She sunk so far into it, that it was sure to feel like being surrounded by a pair of arms you felt utterly safe and content in. No doubts that both Slytherin kings could also make her relax like that. Ginny would now set her mind to figuring out the three, and seeing if there was any hope of all three forming a ménage-a-trios.

Hermione hesitated at Ginny's invitation. Then she considered it. She knew that if she didn't go with Ginny, she'd likely never set foot out of the castle again. Besides, what better place to start than the only other place she felt at home and safe in? "I think I just may join you this weekend Gin. Would you prefer I talk first, or you?" Ginny grinned at her friend's hesitation. She'd go first to sooth her friend.

"I suppose I only decided to leave him today Hermi. I mean it's our first anniversary, and he didn't even deign to show up. Probably still out with whatever 'professional woman' he found tonight." Hermione gasped at Ginny's statement, especially the part where the red-head made 'professional woman' sound like the ultimate scum of the earth – if not worse than that.

"Oh Ginny. None of us had any idea! How long?" Hermione just seemed distraught with the news ... they had all been so sure that Ginny and Colin would become the next Molly and Author Weasley.

"From nearly the first day of the marriage. He stayed in my bed long enough to consummate the contract." Hermione nodded, understanding that Wizarding Marriage Contracts required consummation to be valid. Of course it also called for special circumstances that where not widely known when one or both members of the marriage were unfaithful. Hermione would inform her friend more on that subject later.

"Oh Ginny, I have no idea what to say. I'm sure that Albus will not mind you staying until you have things settled, and I'm also quite sure that Poppy would love the help and company if you got bored while I, Sev, and Draco are teaching." Ginny smiled gratefully.

"I think I'd like that Hermi. Where is the famous Slytherin pair anyways?" Hermi smiled at the mention of her men.

"You just missed Draco, and missed Severus by not much more than that. We do have to be ready for classes tomorrow." Hermione grinned a sad grin that spoke of seeing too much. "It was a few months ago. I was in the middle of doing research for my term paper... I was stupid and got caught outside after dark." Hermione's voice trembled as she spoke, and her gaze did not lift from her tea.

"I didn't even realize what was happening until the first man was halfway through." Ginny gasped – 'first'? She reached out to hold Hermione's hands in her own, offering her silent support.

"I suppose my head cleared when the second man ... finished. I pretended that I passed out so that when the third man was through with me, they wouldn't keep as close watch over me. While I waited there, lying on the ground, I realized the three men were muggles." Tears streamed down the distraught woman's face. This was the first time she allowed herself to revisit the tragedy – save for in her dreams every night.

"I ran to a clearing where I would have more room then I turned and body-bound the men as they came into the clearing. I created a portkey from the knife that I had used to slash the men up as they attacked me. That is really the last thing I remember until I woke up a few days later." At this point, Hermione broke down into sobs and Ginny took her heart broken friend into her arms to sooth her. She figured that Hermione didn't want the men to know the details just yet, otherwise Ginny wouldn't have been the first to hear the tale.

"Oh Hermione. Lets get you to bed so that you have some sleep before you face the students tomorrow." The new professor nodded and sniffled.

"Th-thank you Ginny. Very Much. I think I needed that, and the boys would only get horrendously furious." Hermione crawled into her bed and was asleep before Ginny finished pulling up her covers. Ginny shook her head and let a few tears of her own fall for her best female friend.

She drifted off in to thoughts about her sham of a marriage and decided to fire-call her mother to arrange the visit Saturday. She absently threw the powder into the flame and called out her mother's name. Molly Weasley was pleased to see her daughter.

"Ginny Darling! How are you and that husband of your's?" Molly was not a stupid woman, and had raised 7 children, and she could read the subtle signs on her daughter's face. She knew the words that were coming before her only daughter opened her mouth in greeting.

"I'm leaving him Mum. He's been cheating on me since the night after our wedding and I'm fed up. I was wondering if I could come for a visit Saturday." Ginny held her breath, expecting either a cry of outrage or pity from her mother. She was surprised she got neither.

"Of course you can visit dear! It's been far to long since you've come to see your poor mum. Perhaps we can bash that disgusting creature you have for a husband, eh?" Molly smiled at her daughter.

"Yes Mum. I have one request though. Have no one else there. I'll be bringing someone with me, and she isn't ready to be around a lot of men. And whatever you do, do NOT mention to Ronald that I'm coming. Because if you do there will be nothing we can do to keep him away, and we'll have one angry witch on our hands if he shows up. Hermione will explain when we arrive, for it is not my place." Ginny sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her mother gasped and began to look worried.

"Of course! Hermione is all right isn't she?"

"Yes Mum. See you Saturday. G'night."

"Get some sleep dear." Ginny doused the fire with a stream of water from her wand and went to pass out in the spar bedroom the castle so thoughtfully provided when Hermione mentioned to the Headmaster she was coming.

Hermione woke the next morning to a clock screaming shrilly at her. It appeared that it was time for breakfast. She dressed and walked into her common room, only to be surprised when Ginny, Draco, and Severus seemed to be having a civil conversation. It was surprising to her, because Ginny and Draco had never gotten along, and Ginny never had cared for the potions professor. She noticed that her favorite chair was empty and that there was a mug of coffee sitting in front of it. One of the boys must have fixed it... Ginny didn't know about her penchant for the muggle beverage. She smiled and settled in her place, quietly listening to the conversation. Strangely enough, it was on potions used for medicinal and defensive purposes.

"There is of course the basic healing potion. But the intention behind the potion is very important. By intention, the healing potion can be turned to an exploding acidic potion. I suggest that it be thrown if you want the target to have any chance of surviving." Severus stated matter-of-factly. He noticed when Hermione walked in and smiled at her. The conversation was cut short when the other two noticed her as well.

"Good morning Hermione. Ready to go down to Breakfast? I have a surprise for you." Ginny grinned at her friend as she watched Draco stand and offer his hand to Hermione. Hermione nodded and took Draco's hand, then gasped.

"Before I forget, Ginny you don't have to get a divorce. Because Colin has been unfaithful, you can get the contract annulled." Hermione was please as Ginny smiled beautifully and her whole body visibly relaxed. "He doesn't need to sign anything. You just go to the Ministry, and they will summon him once you have given them the information. He'll be given the truth serum and asked about his extramarital activities. As soon as 'yes' or any variation comes from his mouth, the contract destroys itself."

Ginny hugged Hermione and smiled. "Thank you Hermione, so much. A divorce not only would have been difficult, but also ruined me socially and economically. Divorces are very bad in Wizarding Society. I'll go down this afternoon. Now, lets go to breakfast."

Hermione just barley tensed, but both Draco and Severus noticed. Draco squeezed her hand in his. Severus laid a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "It will be just fine Hermione. You'll be just fine." Hermione nodded and started for the door, the others following her, all three with a smile on their face.

They were barely seated when students began trickling into the hall. Once the hall seemed filled to capacity, the Headmaster stood. The loud students quickly quieted down to listen to what the Headmaster had to say. "Good Morning students. I have an announcement that I couldn't have given you at the Welcoming Feast because it wasn't sure until this morning. Madame Pomfry is retiring." There was an 'aww' sound from most of the student body. "She will be training her replacement over the coarse of this year. Allow me to introduce Madame Weasley."

Hermione's jaw dropped, then she grinned. First at the Headmaster using her friend's maiden name, then because she would be seeing her friend on a daily basis. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could get through this. Maybe she could handle the students who had her today. Just maybe she could work Draco, Severus, and her out. Maybe everything would be alright.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione's jaw dropped, then she grinned. First at the Headmaster using her friend's maiden name, then because she would be seeing her friend on a daily basis. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could get through this. Maybe she could handle the students who had her today – the students who knew her as the Head Girl of a few years back. Just maybe she could work Draco, Severus, and her out. Maybe everything would be alright.

Classes didn't end up being as difficult as Hermione had feared. Sure, the students remembered her, but only distantly. The only ones that asked any questions at all were the Gryffindors. And when they asked, she simply put them down with a quick but polite rebuttal.

"I must insist that you remember that I am no longer you Head Girl, rather I am a Professor – and as such have no obligations to satisfy your curiosities." With that, lessons continued. Really all she was doing that week was finding out where each class level actually was. She was also curious to learn what – if any – bias the previous teacher had bestowed upon her students.

Muggle Studies was not a required course in the past. Rather, it became one in her 7th year, after she and her friends defeated Voldemort, and realized that it would take a few years before it was all truly over. There were still Deatheaters out there – after all. Albus and the Administrator's board decided that it would be a good measure, and could possibly instill an appreciation of muggles into the wizards and witches at an early age. Hermione thought it was a brilliant idea actually. She even planned on making sure that the students understood the many parallels between the two societies. Including the fact that both worlds contained both fundamentally "good" people, as well as "evil" people. She was planning the philosophical part of the class for the seventh years actually.

Hermione was not unsurprised to learn that the previous professor had in fact taught the students about muggles with barely disguised contempt. She knew she'd have plenty of time to reverse those effects in the fifth years and below – and she dearly hoped she'd be able to have the same affect on those students with which she had only one or two years.

That was an issue for another time, tonight she had dinner with her boys, and Ginny was supposed to join them. She was thankful that Ron and Harry hadn't spoken to Ginny before she'd had the chance. Of course, knowing Ron, the redheaded gorilla would have forgotten about Hermione and Severus and Draco in face of Ginny's cheating husband.

She was glad that she had two hours between her last class and dinner – she could take a shower and relax for a little while. She would make her obligatory appearance in the Great hall with the rest of them before disappearing to her quarters. Mostly tonight, she'd be drawing up her class plans. She would also be discussing strategies with repairing the damage done by the previous professor with her boys. She figured that both men would have some valuable ideas, or at the very least useful suggestions, that would help her in her new goal.

She was also somewhat surprised that she just honestly hadn't thought about **that day** during her classes at all. She was also finding that she did rather like teaching. Perhaps it was just because she had found herself a new goal to focus on – well, besides getting her two boys back together. She rather fancied the idea of a triumvirate with the two men she found herself in lo– well damn.

She slipped into her private bathroom and drew herself a bubble bath in the over-sized claw-footed bathtub. She puttered around her room, gathering robes to wear to dinner while the tub filled with the hot and fragrant water. When it was full she gratefully sank down in the water, closing her eyes. Here, where she knew she was safe (even Dumbledore couldn't break through the wards she had up around her room – though Severus and Draco could get into her common room) maybe she could admit something she may have been avoiding for a while. Actually, there was no may about it. She had long ago admitted that she had indeed fallen in love with Draco during their last year as students – but she had simply hidden it, well aware that Draco and she had agreed that is was just for fun.

No, she had admitted that she was in love with the Potions Master. What she was avoiding, due to her rearing in the muggle world, was that she was in love with two men. Triumvirates were actually quite common in Wizarding history – various famous witches and wizards were only prominent enough to accomplish what made them famous because of the support of their two lovers. Not so uncommon. Perhaps not an everyday thing, but certainly not frowned upon in the wizarding community.

However, her first reaction to that day had proven that she could not escape her non-magical rearing. It would take some getting used to in her own mind and heart. Though she could no longer deny the feelings she held for both Slytherin men. Now she just had to come up with a way to play them both into her hands without pissing them off. This could take some thinking… perhaps she'd enlist Ginny. Oh, better yet – Dumbledore. Wouldn't that just incite Severus? She remember the talks Draco and she had about Dumbledore and his manipulative ways – and Severus' reactions to them. Albus would most likely be more than happy to help, as the old man has been trying to get Severus happily involved for years. This would defiantly take some thinking. Meanwhile – she had a dinner to get to.

She walked into the Great Hall from the teacher's entrance behind the Head Table. The moment she walked in she got this sense of dread. Something was going to happen. She quietly cast a notice-me-not charm and slipped into her customary seat between Severus and Draco. The very properties of the charm she had just used would allow her to announce herself to her boys, while remaining unnoticed by most everyone else. The charm differed from invisibility charms in the fact that even noise wouldn't alert a watcher. It had to be something that expressly brought their attention to them. It wasn't something used by Aurors, because someone who was actively paying attention, would see right through the charm. She leaned over and whispered in Draco's ear.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling?" She couldn't help but smirk slightly when he jumped. Of course no one else noticed, except Severus, who spared a wry glance for the man. Hermione announced her presence to him by laying a hand on his arm. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and gave her what she called a Sev-smile. That is, it was a smile you had to know the man to ever see.

"Mr. I-know-what's-best-for-her Potter and Mr. I'm-an-idiot Weasley are here, and determined to get you away from 'the harmful influence' of myself and Severus." Draco smirked and nodded at the other end of the table. Hermione suppressed a groan and prayed that they would get out of the great hall without a confrontation. Harry and Ron didn't know where her quarters were (boy wouldn't they be furious if they knew that, while her quarters and common room were simply separate from both Severus and Draco's quarters, there was a door in each of their common rooms that connected the three.) so perhaps she'd be able to escape. The three of them really had grown apart, and she just didn't want to deal with Harry's sad, pity filled looks or Ron's anger. She really had too much to do. But alas, it was not to be. She noticed that Albus stood, conveniently hiding her from view for just a few more moments.

"Please welcome our guests, Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley. They will be staying at the school for a few days. Thank you. Now eat!" Albus waved his hands and the food appeared. Hermione fixated her gaze straight forward as she sipped on her coffee. She knew that Harry could see straight through a notice-me-not charm, and Ron was actively watching for her, so really she had no hope of it holding out long enough to get out of there. She resigned herself to just hoping for no confrontation in the Great Hall. She quietly snorted to herself as Ron stood and headed towards her. She should have known. What incited her fury further, was that Harry hadn't made any sort of effort to stop it. Ron wanted to make a scene? So be it.

As Ron approached her, both her men stiffened in their seats, though they continued to glance around the room and sip on their chosen drinks. She herself made no move to acknowledge his movement, glancing around at the students who had stopped eating and outright stared at the encroaching scene. Time to show her so-called best friend just how her men had influenced her. He stopped in front of her and she turned her gaze to his face, keeping an impassive expression.

"Hermione, what are you doing sitting between these two?" He didn't even bother to lower his voice, and the contempt in his voice when he referred to her men echoed through out the hall. She simply sneered at him. Though she giggled internally when he reacted. There was such a shocked look on his face. "See 'Mione? They've corrupted you. Harry and I are your best friends, you should have come to us." She felt the fire flashed through her eyes as she set aside her goblet and slowly stood, her palms planted flat on the table as she leaned toward him. She made sure her voice was low enough so that the students couldn't hear, but still see the anger in her face and body.

She leaned closer to him over the table and snarled out her words. "I should have come to you? You're my best friends? Tell me, Ron, where the hell have the two of you been in the past four years? Riding a broom and jumping from girl to girl? Where were my best friends when I graduated early from the university and started my research for my graduate thesis? I came here, best friend, because I'd knew I'd be safe at Hogwarts, because I knew my friend Severus would be here. I'm thrilled that Draco came because he has kept in touch, because he is never to busy to talk to me over floo, or meet me for lunch, or just come rescue me from myself when I'm working to hard. Where were you and Harry?" With that, she turned and left the room through the teacher's exit. Her fists were clenched and her shoulders were shaking as she quickly walked down to her rooms, where her men and Ginny would be shortly. She had no doubt that both Severus and Draco would have a few choice words with Ron before they followed. She also knew that Ginny would take a different path than she or her men would – Ginny'd be loud about it. She would make sure ever student in the Great Hall knew what she said to her brother, and Hermione knew Ron would be embarrassed. Hermione just hoped her friends would tell her, because she just didn't want to ask.

She busied herself with straightening an already straight common room and summoning the house elves to set up the meal she'd asked them to make that morning. It was just a simple pasta and thick cream sauce, and a shrimp salad. Just as she decided to sit down and wait, a stoic Severus, a grinning Draco, and a giggling Ginny entered the room. She smiled at her friends as they all sat, and Ginny immediately launched in recounting Ron's public humiliation.

Apparently, Draco and Severus had both sneered in the face of the redhead's accusations, and accused him of negligence to their friendship before they both followed her. When Ron had turned to Ginny to enlist her support. Her boys were nearly ecstatic with glee, reporting to her Ginny's outburst. Ginny was too busy blushing. The redheaded Medi-witch was just so embarrassed at imitating her mother. Draco was taking great pleasure in imitating Ginny, and he was actually doing a pretty good job at it.

"RONALD WEASLEY! How dare you come into this school as a guest, and then DARE TO INSULT TWO PROFESSORS OF THIS SCHOOL, AND TRY TO TELL A THIRD WHAT SHE SHOULD BE DOING! How dare you abuse Headmaster Dumbledore's hospitality, and how dare you embarrass our family like that! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF RONALD WEASLEY! AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DECENECY TO BE ASHAMED, WELL I'M ASHAMED ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US!"

The four of them were clutching their sides in laughter. Though Hermione sobered more quickly than the others. She was hit with the sobering thought of friendships that had been. How close Harry, she, and Ron had been in their early school years. How they had drifted apart when it became very clear that academics remained her goal and they were only interesting in fun and games. Especially now, since Voldemort had been defeated. Harry especially was trying to have as much fun as possible. As if he were trying to live lifetimes in the shortest amount of time possible. She mourned that childhood friendship, but she mourned more that the boys had not, themselves, realized that the close knit group they had been was lost in the past.

Hermione finally noticed that the two men who were now closest to her were still involved in gut-wrenching laughs, leaning against each other for support. Severus' arm was slung around Draco's shoulders, and Draco held a fist-full of Severus' shirt in one hand. To an outsider, it was quite an intimate embrace. She had to find out more about their relationship.

"Alright guys. Come on, that's enough. I have dinner."

Time passed quickly, with Hermione heavily involved in classes, lunches with Ginny, and evenings spent with her boys. She used her time to observe everything she could about how Draco and Severus acted towards each other and towards her. The more she watched, the more she became convinced that a ménage-a-trios wasn't an impossible idea. It was obvious that Draco was still as in love with the Potions Master as she was, and the feelings that had developed between them in their seventh year had never really faded. The only thing that kept her confused was Severus. There were times she was convinced that he was loved them both. Then he would draw back and his attitude would return to the friendliness he reserved for the few privileged enough to call him friend.

No matter. The Halloween Ball was coming up, and she had something planned that would let her know exactly how her men felt. Luckily, a Hogsmeade weekend fell the weekend before the Friday the ball was planned. It would be easy for her to follow the students to the Wizarding town the next morning and get the costume she'd ordered two weeks before. If it came out the way she wanted, her men would be floored. Hopefully, it would be the catalyst to get her men off their sensibilities and do something about the emotions flying between the three of them. It was getting so obvious; she'd overheard Minerva talking about them to Albus.

She couldn't wait for the ball. There was no way for Severus or Draco to get out of it, as Albus had "requested" they both be there to act as chaperons. Hermione was near convinced that Albus knew exactly what she was planning. Which, when she thought about it, was disturbing. It was almost like her grandfather knowing and approving her wish to ravish two men at one time. Disturbing indeed. However, if the old meddling Headmaster was working in her favor, she wasn't about to fight it.

"Professor Granger!" She spotted a third year Ravenclaw running around the corner with a rather excited look on her face. Hermione stopped in her spot and waited patiently with a little smile on her face. It took her a moment but she remembered the student's name.

"What's got you in a rush Delihala?" Hermione's grin widened with the young girl stopped a few steps away and placed her hand's on her knees, panting a bit. Delihala was one of the more curious pure-bloods to come through her class that year.

"I'm sorry Professor, but I wanted to catch you before you got to the Great Hall for supper. I wanted to ask you about muggles and Halloween." Delihala stood, nearly bouncing from foot to foot, and Hermione couldn't help but smile and motion for the young girl to continue. Delihala took a deep breath. "I was wondering if any of the students with muggle background would be insulted if I dressed as a Muggle housewife from the eighty's. I thought of the idea when you had us do that parchment on sitcoms." Hermione smiled at the fidgeting young girl.

"I'm sure that the students that would recognize what you want to dress as would only think it funny, Delihala. If anyone doesn't, you only have to find one of the professors. Now get to dinner, I'm sure you're hungry." Hermione watched the young girl run ahead of her as she turned to take the hallway to the teacher's table. It was a nifty little shortcut to the area behind the head table, one which would accept no password to reach. Rather, it was spelled to only recognize certain people – specifically, the staff. Hermione went back to smug thoughts of Draco and Severus' reactions come ball time. It was going to be a long week.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione and Ginny had needed to cancel tea with Mrs. Weasley on that Saturday a few months before. As school had gotten busy, they had kept putting it off. At this point, Hermione was sure, Mrs. Weasley had heard what was going on from the boys. Ginny had informed Hermione that her mother had extended an open invitation for that tea, when they could break away from the school. Ginny had told her that Mrs. Weasley had assured her daughter that they only needed to let her know when they were coming, and she would make sure the house was empty.

Even though all of the Weasley children had graduated, it seemed as if there were always one of them passing through the Burrow at any given time, day or night. Normally Mrs. Weasley delighted in that fact, Hermione was sure. Even so, both women were starting to feel the guilt of putting it off. Hermione would see if Ginny would like to accompany her to Hogsmeade that weekend to pick up her costume for the Halloween ball, and then slip away for the long over-due tea.

As Hermione had just dismissed her last class of the day, on Wednesdays it was the Slytherin and Ravenclaw 7th years, she had about 2 hours until dinner. Moving through the halls to the hospital wing, Hermione allowed her mind to wander to the topic of her current problem – her Slytherin men. She had finally brought Ginny in on the plan, and her red-headed best friend was positively filled with mirth over the whole thing. The summary of Ginny's excited tirade had been along the lines of "About time!" Hermione would even go so far as to say that Ginny was more excited than she to see the men's reactions to her Halloween costume.

Ginny had helped her hash out the details of the costume and the plan. The costume itself had to be subtle enough to satisfy her Slytherins, and certainly appropriate to wear into the Great Hall filled with her students. She knew the men wouldn't show much of their reaction at the ball. The after was the part Ginny had been most helpful with.

During this planning, Ginny had been careful to discuss how Hermione really thought she could handle the progression of the relationship to a more intimate level. Hermione had assured her friend that she had spent plenty of time thinking about just that. Hermione had admitted that had it been anyone else, in any other situation, she would not have been ready for such a step. It had been only four months since **that night**. However, it was those two men. Severus and Draco, the two men she had already been in love with when **it** happened, the two men who had been the ones to help her heal. Hermione had made it clear that she was not entirely over **it**, not yet even able to refer to **it** in anything other than generalities. She did not doubt, however, that the continued comfort and care her men showed her would continue her on the path of healing.

One hall away from the hospital wing, Hermione heard one of her students calling for her. When she turned to look, it was one of her 7th year Slytherins. Tobias Flint, the younger brother of the Marcus Flint she had known in school. The young man tried hard in her class, but she well understood why he struggled. After all, both his mother and older brother were rotting away in Azkaban, and his father had already been given the Dementor's Kiss. If she wasn't mistaken, he was living with an elderly aunt.

"Professor Granger! I'm glad I caught you! I had a question about tonights homework, if you have a moment?" The young man, admittedly blessed with a bit more charisma than his brother, jogged down the hall to catch up with her. She waited patiently, but her nerves began to speak to her. She would still get a bit nervous when alone with any male older than about 13, and she was acutely aware that they were alone in the hallway.

"Mr. Flint, I would be glad to answer your question, but I only have a moment. I have a meeting with Madam Weasley to get to." Ginny didn't know she was coming, of course, but for some reason Hermione felt better telling him someone was expecting her.

"Of course Professor! It's just that, I finally understood muggle electricity, but I still can't understand how muggles can make pictures move like we can on their telly-vision." He had moved closer to her than she was comfortable with, but still within an appropriate distance according to the social norm. What she didn't realize was that she was taking tiny steps back from him, and he was slowly pushing her into a corner.

"What is important, Mr. Flint, is to remember that electricity allows the television to work, but it is not how it works. Through a process that we are not worried about, muggles take a lot of still pictures, they refer to as "frames", that are only slightly different from each other, and play them very quickly in sequence. When they play these frames fast enough, you get the movement." Hermione realized then how close she had gotten to the wall, and that her student had led her there. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stop her body from trembling. "If that is all, Mr. Flint, I really must be going." She cursed herself inwardly when she couldn't stop a nervous tone from entering her voice.

"Now, Professor, that's not what you really want, now is it?" Flint's voice had dropped in both tone and volume. He stepped forward until her back met the wall, then moved into her personal space.

"E-excuse me? Mr. Flint, you need to back away from me and return to your common room." Hermione hoped she managed to pull off an authoritative tone, but through the fear beginning to chill her veins she couldn't be sure. She could feel the urge to hyperventilate, and was unsure how long she could control her breathing.

"Now Professor, you've been flirting with me all term. Surely you aren't going to play coy now. We are alone, you don't have to pretend!" As he spoke, he placed an arm on either side of her shoulders and moved close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her face. Her body was trembling uncontrollably now, and she could feel the tears building up behind her eyes.

"Mr. Flint, you have no idea what you are talking about! If you do not back away and leave right now I will take points, and I will be discussing with Professor Snape just how many detentions you will be serving!" The blood was pounding so loud in her ears, and she could hear the owls in the woods, the wind through the leaves, feel the leaves and mulch beneath her feat. She almost couldn't see the boy over her memories, and she felt the first tears begin to fall from her eyes.

When he lent forward and kissed her, Hermione was completely back in the woods. A scream escaped her throat, and she kneed her assailant in his most delicate parts and took the opportunity to run while he was bent over in pain. She couldn't see where she was running. All Hermione could see were the woods around her, all she could here was her heart pounding in her ears.

Suddenly, she ran into something solid, and his arms closed around her. In her panic she could not see that it was Draco, and so she screamed and struggled, striking where she could. She could not hear Draco calling to her, nor did she hear him cast a silence bubble around them.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Draco was heading up to the hospital wing to find out if Ginny knew where Hermione was. She hadn't been in her rooms after he returned from his last class like she normally was. As Severus still had once more class for the day, he figured she might have gone to see Ginny. He couldn't help but think of the two things that were most commonly on his mind these days. Both his ex-lovers, both people he loved deeply, both Hermione and Severus. Severus was near driving him mad, what with his own version of wishy-washy affection.

For anyone who did not know Severus well, and that was most everybody, you wouldn't be able to see anything. Draco, however, had once been the man's lover and was even now his best friend. He could see the indecision within Severus during the moments the man allowed a bit of his control to slip. During those moments, he could easily see the man's feelings for their Hermione, and perhaps only a little more difficult to see were his feelings for Draco himself.

He was battling his own emotions when it came to Hermione and Severus. Spending most of their time together only served to further cement his feelings towards them both. Pure-blood that he was, he knew full well that triumvirates were, while not common, perfectly acceptable. His own Great-Grandparents were part of one, and that all three had taken the name Malfoy. Family legend had it that his oldest uncle and his father were actually fathered by one grandfather, while his aunt and youngest uncle were fathered by the other.

It was his personal opinion that triumvirates were how pure-bloods got away with interbreeding so damn much. The problem was that Hermione had been raised by muggles, and he knew that threesomes were not so easily accepted in the muggle world. He was sure that it was something that had never occurred to her, and he was also sure that when she was ready for an intimate relationship, she would choose Severus, and he would be left in the cold. It hurt his heart, but anything to see her happy.

When he was almost to his destination, he heard their Hermione's scream. He took off running in the direction of the fear filled sound. He rounded the corner and saw her running in his direction. Her tear stained face, and the abject fear radiating from her worried him. What had frightened her so?

She did not appear to see him, and this was confirmed when she ran full into him, and began to scream and fight as his arms closed around her. She did not hear as he tried to call to her, but kept fighting. He managed to get his wand into one hand, and cast a localized silencing spell around them. Tucking it away, he picked up her fighting form, and began to run toward the dungeons. He needed Severus.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus was stalking around the classroom, snarking at the third year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs as they worked on their potions. He suddenly got a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach, and moved to his desk. On it waited a small talisman keyed to his chambers. It would glow if his chambers had been entered without his knowledge. At the moment, it was glowing a dark angry red.

Twirling around, he barked out orders for the students to cover their potions and put them in stasis, and then to leave. Without waiting to see that his orders had been carried out, he hurried out of the classroom heading to his personal chambers. Of course it did not appear as if he were hurrying to his students. As always he moved with what his students often referred to as bat-like grace.

He did not know what to expect as he entered his chambers, but it certainly was not Draco and Hermione in a Silence Bubble, Hermione fighting Draco like a hell-cat, screaming and crying. There was already a bruise on Draco's cheek, and a small trickle of blood dripping out of his nose. It did not take him long to figure out that Hermione was having a flashback. He could not help but wonder what, exactly, had triggered it, as she had been doing so well. He quickly erected a silence spell around his quarters, and dispelled the one Draco had cast. The terrified screams of the woman he loved were like an arrow to his heart as he joined Draco in trying to calm her down. However, it soon became apparent that she was not going to calm down.

"Draco, I've got her. In the potions cabinet should be a sleeping potion. Get it and help me get it down her throat." Severus raised his voice to be heard over her screaming, and as soon as Draco was sure he had a grip, Draco darted over to the afore mentioned cabinet. It didn't take him long to find the potion they wanted, and returned to their side. It was long enough for Hermione to get a good hit in to Severus' own face. It took them a moment, but they finally managed to get her to drink the potion without choking.

Opposite to her fighting, she slipped gently into slumber, relaxing in their arms. Together they laid her down on the couch. Severus turned to Draco, a questioning look on his face.

"I have no idea, Sev. I was heading up to the hospital wing, figuring she went up to see Ginny after class. I heard her scream, and she literally ran into me. You can tell that she didn't know who we were, nor could she hear us. What in the 9 hells triggered this!" They both dropped onto the other couch, exhausted. Severus waved his wand, summoning a house elf. A little female popped in.

"How can Pfixy help Sirs?"

"Fetch the Headmaster. Tell him we need him immediately."


	9. Chapter 9

"How can Pfixy help Sirs?"

"Fetch the Headmaster. Tell him we need him immediately."

It was, thankfully, only about 10 minutes before Severus heard the knock on his door, and Albus' voice beyond. He waved his wand, admitting the Headmaster to his chambers. He was aware that they presented quite the sight, with Hermione in a peaceful sleep on one couch and the evidence of a struggle and tear-stained face, and the both of them looked worse for the wear too.

Draco had a bloody nose, a black eye, and a bruised cheek. Severus, himself, had two black eyes and a busted lip. Neither man had been able to dredge up the energy to heal themselves, despite being more than capable of doing so. Albus took in the scene with weary eyes. "What has happened, dear boys?"

Severus sighed, and straightened out of the slouch he'd adopted. Taking a deep breath, he began. "Honestly, Albus, we don't know. She ran head-on into Draco in the corridor leading to the hospital wing, already in the grip of a total flashback. He got her down here, and even the two of us couldn't calm her down. As crude as it is, we were forced to knock her out." He leaned forward, and put his head in his hands.

Albus raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have to hit her did you? I can't imagine you were able to get to your wands." Severus chuckled as Draco answered for him.

"Certainly not!" He sounded so outraged that Severus had to release a short bark of a laugh. The glare Draco sent the other man's way did nothing to make Severus suppress his mirth. "Severus keeps a few mild sleeping draught for Hermione's nightmares. We managed to get her to swallow one of those. The point, Albus, is that **something** triggered this flashback. We need to find out exactly what it was so that it does not happen again. Worse than that, we need to make sure it was not some kind of attack."

"I have to assume it was something pretty big, Albus. Hermione hasn't been having nearly as many nightmares, and she was getting more comfortable around more people. I can't imagine something small caused this. I could, of course, use Occulmency, but I do not want to violate her any more than she has already been." Severus hated the idea of having to forcibly enter Hermione's mind, but if this was indeed an attack, then time was of the essence. If there was an attack, they needed to find the culprit before anything else could occur.

Severus watched as Draco stood and started to pace the room. He could see the wheels turning the the man's mind. "I doubt that her memories are going to be particularly clear on the matter. Occulmency will allow you to see her memories, yes, but only from her point of view. Maybe a Pensive?" Draco trailed off thoughtfully. Severus sat upright, and saw the twinkle in Albus' eyes.

"What an ideal solution! I shall go and retrieve mine, unless you have one Severus? No? Alright, I'll be back soon. How long will that potion last?" Albus did appear quite proud of Draco's idea, and Severus rather agreed with him.

"We will be able to wake her with a charm, otherwise she will sleep about 4 hours. If you would, Albus, retrieve Madam Weasley? I believe Hermione will be more comfortable with this whole issue if she were present." Severus answered the headmaster, and returned his elbows to his knees, and his head to his hands. After the headmaster left the room, Draco moved over behind the couch and laid his warm hands on his shoulders. Severus reached up and grasped one hand with his own. They stayed like that for a few moments before Draco broke the silence.

"We are going to get her through this Severus. We will do what must be done to see her whole and healthy. If this was an attack of some sort, we will make sure that whoever it is pays." Draco spoke in a hushed tone, and Severus could hear the anger behind his words. He took Draco's hand from his shoulder, and pulled it around to place a kiss on Draco's palm.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

"I know we will Draco. I know. It's just," Severus sighed, and his head dropped. "She is supposed to be safe here. Of all places, she is supposed to be safe at Hogwarts, with us. If this was an attack of some sort that triggered her flashback, then..." He shook his head in frustration. Draco realized just how furious the Potion's Master was, to be unable to put into words what he was thinking. This quite anger was something Draco had never seen from his friend. Even through his own anger at this – so far – imaginary attacker, Draco realized that he was very glad Severus' anger was not aimed at himself.

As repentant as Severus Snape, ex-Deatheater, may have been, there was still a reason he became a servant of Voldemort in the first place. Severus was a deadly man, and one who never even needed to raise a wand to kill you. For both Severus and Hermione's sakes, he hoped they could somehow keep Severus from doing something they'd all regret. Of course, if it wasn't an attack it was all a moot point. Draco couldn't help but think that it had to have been, though. He knew Hermione, and she was strong. Severus had told him about the first few flashbacks early on, but through sheer stubbornness Hermione had tackled the triggers with the same tenacity she showed in her research. That is to say, she didn't stop until she had the answer, and in this case, eradicated each trigger.

"When she was having flashbacks in the beginning, did she ever have one so complete? Was there ever one you couldn't pull her out of?" Draco needed to be sure of what his instincts were telling him.

"No. The closest she ever got were when she woke from nightmares, and it only ever took a few minutes for her to realize where she was. Not one was so bad that she couldn't see her physical location. You were right earlier, Draco. This wasn't some simple trigger. For such a complete flashback, someone had to touch her. The only question now is, was it just something that surprised her, or was it an assault?"

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Ginny moved quietly through the hospital wing, restocking. She was humming a merry little tune, and her thoughts were wandering. She had taken the second Monday of the school year off to go down to the ministry to deal with her marriage. She hadn't dared take time off that first week, as they needed to process all the first year students. They had to confirm medical records and give them their initial physicals.

After arriving at the Ministry of Magic, she quickly ascertained the correct office to go to. After riding a moving set of stairs, and turning a few corners in different corridors, she arrived at the Office of Magical Marriage and Spousal Dispute. Ducking the flying memos and entering the office, Ginny looked to the receptionist. Listing her name in the ledger and taking a ticket, she moved over to take a seat and wait her turn.

An agent called for her after about thirty minutes spent in her seat, hands twisting in her lap and nerves lodging her heart in her throat. Following the plump, older woman into a private – and silenced – cubicle, Ginny sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for the agent's cue.

"What brings you here today, my dear?" The older woman smiled sweetly at her, waiting for her to speak. After taking a deep, clenching breath, Ginny began.

"I've come to file for an annulment of my marriage, on grounds of my husband's persistent adultery."

Sympathy flashed through the woman's eyes as her quill started on the fresh scroll laid out on the desk. She asked several questions, the first few identifying ones – and most about details of the marriage and the accused adultery. Ginny was careful not to admit to the woman whom came to tell Colin of her pregnancy.

Once the woman had all the information she wanted, Ginny was led into a back room, that appeared to be set up as a small court-room. A long table stood at one end of the room, three chairs behind it. There were two smaller tables in front of the longer one, separated by an aisle in the middle. The woman told her to seat herself at one of the smaller tables, and wait until her husband could be located and brought to the Ministry.

Two hour of hand twisting later, the doors opened. In filed the three wizards acting as judge in this matter, as well as her husband and two guards. Apparently, they had needed to go fetch him. Once all were seated, and Ginny had been on the receiving end of several nasty glares sent to her by her soon to be ex-husband, another man entered the room. He was carrying the truth serum, Versitiaum.

At that point, Colin had tried to, very loudly, object. "I want to know what I'm being accused of! I refuse to take a truth potion unless my wife does the same! What exactly has she told you! She just up and left me two weeks ago without warning! I want to know what is going on here!"

The head judge spoke. "Mr. Creevy, please sit down. Mrs. Creevy has filed for annulment of your marriage, citing adultery. You will take the versitiaum, so that we can conclude these proceedings. If you have an accusation to make in return, then your wife will also be dosed and examined. If the two of you are not aware, adultery is illegal in our world. If you are found to be guilty, your marriage will be dissolved, your wife will be awarded with half your communal property, and you Sir will be fined."

Colin had been shocked speechless, and the judge took that to mean he had nothing with which to accuse her of. It did not take long after that to find the truth, and for their marriage contract to be summoned and destroyed. Though it had broken Ginny's heart to find out for sure that she had been right about the cheating, right about it having started very early in their marriage, she left the ministry feeling very liberated. Not to mention not nearly as destitute as she would have expected should they have tried to divorce. In those cases, the one filing rarely got much of anything.

Ginny was smiling at the remembered feeling, and cleaning the windows with her wand when Headmaster Dumbledore walked in. He saw Ginny and immediately headed in her direction. As he approached, Ginny noticed that the look on the old man's face was far more upset than she had ever seen. Immediately, she was concerned. Ginny stopped the work she was doing, and waited for the headmaster to speak.

"Madam Weasley, Ginny – It has been requested that you join me in Severus' rooms. I'm afraid something has happened, and we feel it best that you are there when we wake Hermione." Ginny gasped.

"Professor – Albus, what has happened?"

"I am going to let Severus and Draco explain that to you my dear." Ginny nodded, and moved to follow Albus. It was then that she noticed he was carrying a Pensive. Dread gripped her heart, as the clues were adding up, and they did not bring her a positive conclusion.

She hurriedly followed the headmaster down a familiar route of hallways leading to the dungeons. They went directly to Severus' personal quarters, and the portrait swung open as the man on it saw them coming. Ginny entered, and immediately took in the bruises and bloody orifices the men had yet to heal. She drew her wand and moved towards them even as she took note of Hermione sleeping on the couch.

It didn't take her long at all to heal such minor injuries, and only seconds after that to turn to the men, demanding an explanation. "Would someone like to explain to me, just exactly what is going on here?"

"Hermione had a sever flashback, and we thing it would be wise to have a woman in the room when we wake her. We are hoping that she will be able to put the memories of the event in the Pensive, so that we may determine who, and if she was somehow attacked, or what otherwise triggered it." Severus explained the situation to her quite succinctly, and she found herself idly wondering why the headmaster couldn't have done the same. However, Ginny nodded and moved over to the couch that her best friend was laying on.

Ginny slid onto the couch, placing Hermione's head in her lap. Stroking the other woman's hair, the medi-witch nodded to signal the men that she was ready.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Hermione snapped awake, the nightmare still fighting to keep her within it's grip. She took a few shallow breaths before she felt someone stroking her hair. Looking up with bleary eyes, she saw long red hair and a pixie face. How did Ginny get into her quarters? She looked around as her eyes cleared, and amended her mental assessment. Okay, into Severus' common room, and for that matter how did she? She already felt that her throat was dry, and she was expecting her voice to be hoarse.

"Severus? Draco?" Indeed, she very nearly croaked out the names of her men. She noticed that the men were taking care that she could see them before the moved closer. She then also noticed that Professor Dumbledore was keeping his distance, but making an effort to also stay within her sight. While she was focused on him, her men had moved to the couch. Severus gently moved her legs to the floor, and sat where they had been, before pulling her into a sitting position. She felt Ginny get up, and saw Draco take her place. Severus held her hands, and was studying her face with concern written over his features. Draco placed his hands on her shoulders, and she felt how tense he was.

Hermione settled back into Draco's arms and felt him relax as she returned Severus' stare. "May I have some water? And then would someone please tell me what has happened?" At this point, all she could remember was dismissing her last class, and then that nightmare. She did not like how concerned everyone seemed to be. In her peripheral she saw Ginny going for water, and watched as Severus took a deep breath before he spoke.


	10. Chapter 10

Author Note: This chapter was a tad difficult to write, hence the week it took to get out. I was on a roll with the two-chapters-in-a-day thing, too. I have a feeling we are almost to the end, but who knows what the plot-bunnies have in store for me. They didn't even tell me about the flashback until I started writing it!

Remember, we writers live on reviews! Kisses!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*STORY*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione settled back into Draco's arms and felt him relax as she returned Severus' stare. "May I have some water? And then would someone please tell me what has happened?" At this point, all she could remember was dismissing her last class, and then that nightmare. She did not like how concerned everyone seemed to be. In her peripheral she saw Ginny going for water, and watched as Severus took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Hermione, you had a flashback. A fairly serious one, as Draco and I had to give you a sleeping draught because we couldn't calm you down." Hermione couldn't help the confusion that passed over her features as Severus gently explained the afternoon to her. Something was still off though. While she hadn't had a flashback in almost two months, there had never been one that Severus alone couldn't handle.

"Do we know why you couldn't handle this flashback, Sev? I mean, what triggered it?" Hermione didn't miss the glances exchanged around her. Now, she understood why everyone was being so careful, treating her as if she were a bomb that would go off with the slightest wrong move. They didn't know what happened, but Severus and Draco, at least, had an idea.

Draco spoke up from behind her, and a smooth and even tone. "What do you remember about this afternoon, Hermi? Start with when you dismissed your last class. We already know there were no issues before that."

Hermione thought about her last class, and clearly remembered dismissing the 7th year Slytherins and Ravenclaws. She had given them some assignment on the telly. "I have the Ravenclaw and Slytherin 7th years for my last class today. Nothing was wrong when I dismissed the class, and I went into my office. I had decided to go up and see Ginny. I remember that I had wanted to ask if she would join me at Hogsmeade before we went to see her Mum for tea this Saturday." Hermione's brow crinkled with her confusion. She remembered thinking about it, but she didn't remember ever making it to the infirmary. Why?

"I didn't make it to the infirmary. I know that. I don't really even remember leaving my office – just having the thought, and then I remember having a nightmare and waking up here. I don't..." Hermione kept thinking about it, trying to remember.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus well knew the signs of Hermione on the verge of a panic attack. She was pushing herself to remember, and something in her mind was protecting her from it. "Hermione, I want you stop thinking for a moment." He gave her a small smile when she looked at him with such confusion. "We need to find out if it is magic blocking your memory, or just your mind. If it isn't magic, we'd like for you to put the memories in the Pensive. I fear if you keep pushing yourself, you'll just trigger another flashback. If we put in the Pensive, someone will be able to go with you."

He saw the confusion clear from her eyes, and she gave him an affirmative nod. "Could you and Draco come with me?" Severus met Draco's eyes over her shoulder, and the both whispered their agreement.

"Albus? Would you check for spells?" Severus watched as Albus slowly approached, keeping eye contact with Hermione.

"My dear, I'm going to need to place my hands on your face. I am afraid this means I am going to need to borrow Severus' seat. Now, nothing will hurt, but if there is magic playing a roll, then you may experience the blocked memories as I find it. I want you to remember where you are, and who is here with you. Alright?" As the headmaster spoke, Severus moved from in front of her, to her side, kneeling on the floor. He kept her hands in his and he watched as Draco tightened around her. Severus could feel the tremble in her hands, and he fervently hoped that it was just the inherent magic of the mind protecting Hermione. He much preferred they figure out what happened using the Pensive. That, at least, would allow Draco and himself to help her through it, and perhaps avoid another flashback or nightmare.

Severus watched Albus and Hermione very carefully as they both sat with their eyes closed. The longer they went without Hermione showing signs of stress, the more convinced he was that it was her mind's natural defense mechanism blocking the memories. Soon enough, Albus opened his eyes and confirmed Severus' suspicions with a shake of his head. Severus quickly moved back to his former seat, once Albus stood.

"Hermione, there is no magic affecting your memories in any way. I believe your mind is just blocking the experience. Even if you can't access them, we will be able to find out exactly what happened by putting those memories in the Pensive. Do you remember the charm?" His Hermione opened her eyes and immediately sought out his own.

"Yes Professor. I sometimes use a pensive to help with my research. Sometimes it can help me see what I missed the first time around." Albus nodded at Hermione's explanation, and Severus had to smile. Ms. Know-it-all Granger would use a Pensive for research. Looking over Hermione's shoulder, Severus shared an amused smile with Draco. That was their girl.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Hermione took a deep breath as the headmaster set the Pensive on the table in front of her. She took her hands from Severus and disentangled herself from Draco's arms. It was no wonder she was getting a headache, apparently it had been an eventful day, and certainly not in the good way. She prepared to cast the spell as she caught sight of the clock. "Albus, shouldn't you be in the Great Hall for dinner? Certainly, this is no reason to alarm the students with your absence?" Hermione could remember that during her own school years, the only time Albus had been absent from the head table during dinner had been that unfortunate period of time in which Lucius Malfoy had strong-armed the school directors into suspending him, and of course when that dreadful woman-in-pink appointed by the ministry came and took over.

She saw Albus nod thoughtfully, and she did catch the look he threw to Ginny. "I do believe you are quite right, my dear. I will return here immediately after dinner to see how you are doing." Hermione, however, did not catch the look the headmaster threw to Severus, or Severus' slight nod. No, Hermione was already focused on the Pensive, and the memories and time period she needed to put into the shimmering silver liquid swirling around in the pewter bowl. Concentrating as she was, she also missed Ginny slipping out with the headmaster.

After a few minutes, Hermione felt she had a grip on the appropriate memories, unaccessible though they were. Casting the charm, Hermione pulled the memory away from her mind like a stream of light, and gently deposited it in the Pensive. With a deep breath, she turned to her men.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Draco held his breath as Hermione completed the Pensive charm. He almost didn't want to do this. He was still finishing up the last of his cases at the auror office while Severus was here, dealing with the first round of her flashbacks. That was difficult enough, he knew. Though Draco himself had been a part of the team that had gone in to release the other women Hermione's rapists had kidnapped and kept, and he had seen the conditions of both the environment and the women themselves, they were now going to have to go through a flashback with her. Given the nature of the Pensive, it was possible they would see the memories she, herself, experienced.

Draco had an idea about how he and Severus would handle that. With rage; absolute, all consuming, impotent rage. It would be hard to swallow, Draco knew. He had already done all that could be done about the culprits, and still remain within the bounds of the law. As muggles, the Ministry demanded they be dealt with by the muggle authorities. Although, that hadn't stopped the auror office from collecting the necessary proof and handing both that and the men themselves over to the muggle police. The muggles assumed that the women had suppressed their memories, rather than the obliviations that had actually been done. They couldn't have done that to Hermione. As a witch, she would eventually figure out she had been oblivated. As Hermione, she wouldn't have accepted that solution, and wouldn't have stopped until the memories were unlocked and she had to live through it all a second time.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Severus kept his eyes on Hermione as he paced the room opposite Draco. When Hermione leaned back on the couch with a sigh and closed her eyes, he immediately took his place at her side. Draco was quick to join them. If only to himself, Severus could admit that he loved them both. He refused to allow himself to think further than that. He knew Hermione wasn't at all ready for any kind of intimate relationship, if it were even possible that she would have such feelings for him. He did see the affection she held for Draco, and it was rather bittersweet.

He assumed that eventually they would end up together, and it was little comfort to know that they would take care of each other. It would leave him out. However selfish it was, he wanted to savor this closeness the three of them shared. Eventually, Hermione would stop needing him, and he couldn't help but hope in a small part of his mind that this would last. Even if he hated himself for it, because it meant that Hermione was not healing.

They sat in silent comfort, until Hermione was ready to open her eyes. Severus felt a light squeeze to his hand before Hermione straightened and opened her eyes. She let out a short, nervous laugh on exhale, and met both his and Draco's eyes in turn. Severus could see how nervous she was.

"Hermi, Severus and I will be with you the entire time. We will not leave your side. Whatever triggered this, you aren't facing it a second time alone." Draco knelt in front of Hermione, taking her hands from him. "I'd love to give you all the time you needed, but we need to find out..." Severus watched as Hermione interrupted Draco, piecing together what they had already guessed.

"You think it was an attack, and we need to find out who it was so it doesn't happen again. To me, or anyone else." Severus smiled, that was his Ms. Know-it-all. It was a bit confounding how that affectation changed from the disdain used in her early school years to such an affectionate nickname. They all stood, and Severus took one of Hermione's hands while Draco took the other.

"Ready Hermione?" Severus spoke, and watched as Hermione took on last deep breath before nodding. With that, the three of them entered the Pensive.

The three of them landed in Hermione's office, and watched as she put her papers from her class away. Severus noticed that a Ravenclaw was on top of the pile of essays she put aside to grade later that night. She appeared to be in a good mood as she left the office. It quickly became apparent that she was heading to the hospital wing. She had been right in thinking that she had wanted to go see Ginny.

"The next corridor is where I found Hermione." Draco spoke in a harsh whisper, despite the fact that nothing they could do would affect the memory. Severus studied Hermione for a moment, and found that her brow was wrinkled in concentration. He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him. Once she gave him a small smile in return, he tugged on her hand to pull them along, to catch up with memory-Hermione.

Severus spotted Flint coming down the hallway from the opposite way they approached. He felt anger welling up in his heart, and could barely stand to find out what he had actually done. He met Draco's eyes, and knew Draco had also quickly figured out that Tobias Flint had caused Hermione's flashback. "Professor Granger! I'm glad I caught you! I had a question about tonights homework, if you have a moment?"

It was easy to see that Hermione was nervous, and Severus was well aware that was because she was still uncomfortable being alone with any male that was not himself or Draco. They watched as he asked about his assignment, and listened to Hermione's explanation of the television. Both men noticed immediately that Flint was deliberately cornering Hermione. They also felt as their Hermione tightened her grip on them, the further the memory progressed.

"If that is all, Mr. Flint, I really must be going." Severus and Draco simultaneously moved to wrap their arms around her. The three of them were wrapped tightly together as they watched Tobias Fling assault Hermione, watched her disappear into those memories.

"Now, Professor, that's not what you really want, now is it?" Severus and Draco both tightened their fists as Flint attempted a seductive tone. Hermione had buried her face in Severus' chest as she pulled Draco close to her back. She was trembling as badly as memory-hermione was.

"Now Professor, you've been flirting with me all term. Surely you aren't going to play coy now. We are alone, you don't have to pretend!" Severus felt as if he could breath fire as Flint continued to ignore Hermione's refusals, continued to ignore the obvious distress she was in. Having seen it before, he could see that she was already in the grips of the kind of flashbacks she had experienced initially.

Severus watched as Flint leaned forward and kissed his Hermione, and only Draco's firm grip on the back of his neck from around Hermione kept him from leaping in, despite the fact that it was only a memory. He came back to himself as the Hermione in his arms whimpered and tried to get closer to him, despite the fact that she was as close to him as she could get with clothes still in the way. They watched as an uncontrolled burst of magic blew Flint down the hall. He managed to gain his feet and, with fear in his eyes, take off down the hallway. That was why Draco hadn't seen him when he responded to the scream memory-hermione was now letting out. They watched as she ran straight into Draco, and Severus saw a bit of the fight that had given the blond his initial wounds.

Both men let out a sigh of relief as the memory let them go, and sent them all back out of the Pensive. Almost without realizing it, Severus and Draco ended up side by side on the couch, a sobbing Hermione in their laps. Severus managed to check the time, and saw that it would be only a few minutes before dinner ended, and only a few after that that Dumbledore and Ginny would return.

Severus was gently rubbing circles on her back, and Draco was running his fingers through her hair. They were both whispering assurances to her, and Severus noticed how effortless it was for Draco and himself to complement each other in care of their Hermione. Despite the rather serious situation, he allowed himself a brief moment to wish that they could build a life, the three of them.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Albus knocked on the portal to Severus' rooms, and listened for his invitation. Ginny stood waiting with him, and she was not hiding her concern and nerves nearly as well as he. Of course, old man that he was, he'd had much more practice. He was, however, grateful to say he'd never needed to deal with a situation quite like this one.

Rape was one crime that was much less prevalent in the wizarding world than in the muggle. Less strong-willed victims had experienced a fundamental break from their magic after such an invasion. The perpetrator's own magic most often turned on them, either driving wizard rapists insane, or simply departing from them to leave them little more than a squib. Years past, such as the times in his own youth, witches rarely went into the muggle world alone. They would either have an escort, or would travel with a group of their friends. But that was more than a hundred years ago, and times had changed.

More recently, witches that had been born in the wizarding world would use their wands, and muggle-borns would be aware of the danger and avoid such situations. That wasn't to say that Hermione was any less capable, situations like this had a way of happening regardless of any precautions. It hurt his heart that this had happened to anyone, never mind such a wonderfully bright witch.

He heard Severus' entreaty, and entered his quarters, Ginny following close behind. He knew that she wanted to be present to support her friend, though when he saw the occupants, he suspected that she was not needed. Hermione was across both men's laps, yet somehow curled up, and fast asleep. Neither man looked in any particular rush to change the arrangement. In fact, Draco had managed to slip one arm around the back of the couch, and was rubbing Severus' neck. Albus didn't blame him, as his Potion Master did appear rather furious.

"What did you find out dear boys?" Albus himself stood across from the trio on the couch, while Ginny had taken a seat in the armchair. He knew they had found out that there was indeed some sort of attack, just by looking at the rage in either man's eyes. Unfortunately, he needed the details before he could appropriately take care of the offending party.

"Tobias Flint sexually assaulted Hermione." From the icy in Severus', he knew that was all the man would say. Unfortunately he needed more details. Before he could ask, Draco spoke up.

"Before she fell asleep, we managed to get Hermione's permission for you to view the memory, to get any details you need. As Severus is his head-of-house, we know the punishment would usually be under his jurisdiction, but given the situation we feel that it would be better if you took care of this one yourself, Albus."

Albus nodded his agreement. "I believe that is a wise decision Severus, Draco." He picked up the Pensive and moved to the door. "I think we will just leave you for the evening. Please let Hermione know that if necessary, we can cancel her classes until Monday."

"Thank you Albus. Before you go, could you tell us what you believe will be done with Flint?" Severus asked him a question he had hoped to put off. Albus allowed himself a sigh before he answered.

"He will, of course, be expelled. As you know, a crime of this nature is taken very seriously in our world. It will have to be reported to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Given the particulars of the situation, the trial will be a closed one in which Veritaserum will be administered in front of the Wizengamot. It is possible that he would be sentenced to Azkaban, though it is more likely they would break his wand. Either way, he will not be a threat to Hermione anymore." With that answer, Severus' attention turned back to the woman in his arms and the hand on his neck.

Albus watched the three of them for a moment before motioning to Ginny. He sincerely hoped the three of them figured things out, they were so good for each other.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione woke, and while she was probably a little uncomfortable, she had never slept so well or felt so safe. Despite the events of the day before, she'd had no nightmares. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but smile. Now she knew why she felt the way she did. She had apparently fallen asleep across both Severus and Draco's laps, and they had fallen asleep as well.

Severus had shifted around so that his head lay on the arm of the couch, and one of them had extended the size of the couch because Draco was laying beside him, tucked in under one arm. She herself was wedged between them, though she didn't actually touch any part of the couch. Oh, how she hoped that this would become a common thing. This was how she wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of her life, including a real bed preferably. This morning, however short it had been thus far, had erased any remaining doubts she'd had about a threesome working out. Now she just had to convince them.

Hermione knew there was no way she was getting away without waking one or both of them. But she really had to use the toilet, so the best she could hope for was only one waking. She gently and slowly lifted the arm around her waist up, and returned it to Draco's side. She then moved on leg at a time over Severus, and reached one arm out to support herself on the edge of the couch beneath Severus' side so she could roll across Severus' chest and off the couch to her feet.

As she tried to roll, her hand slipped. She didn't know if it startled her more that she completely lost her balance, or that Severus reached out and caught her and prevented her from landing on the floor. Either way she couldn't stop the yelp that escaped. Given the awkward angle, the only choice Severus would have to change the fact that she was half on him, half hanging off his arm, would be to let her drop. Or, she thought that was the only option until Draco picked her up from behind and set her on her feet. He had apparently rolled over the back of the couch to come up behind her.

Hermione knew she was blushing. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. She couldn't help the little squeak she let out with her exhale. Severus, who had not even opened his eyes yet, was smirking at her. "Um, I'll be right back!" With that she darted off to the bathroom. The almost-fall had not helped her bladder. As she closed the door behind her, she heard both men laughing. She smiled, it was a good sound.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

As Hermione darted off to the bathroom, Severus stood and returned the couch to normal. Draco started chuckling, and it wasn't long before both of them were laughing. It did not escape Severus' notice that he was well rested, perhaps more so than he had been in a long time.

As they waited for Hermione to emerge, Severus started some tea. Draco returned to his rooms to dress for the day, and Severus would go into his bedroom to do the same as soon as the blond returned. They would need to be present for breakfast, since they missed dinner the night before, but they needed to speak with Hermione first. Albus had offered to cancel her classes for the rest of the week, and they needed to have an answer for him at breakfast. However, Severus was more concerned with how she was doing after yesterday.

He watched Draco reenter to rooms, looking much refreshed and elegant as always. Despite all else that had happened, Draco had never lost that need to be perfectly presentable when out in public. Severus couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on his lips as he glanced at the other man. Of course, that would be the time that Hermione came out of the bathroom.

She had taken a shower, and her outer robes were open over the towel wrapped around her body. The rest of her clothes were held in her hands, as were her shoes. Severus' mouth went dry as he couldn't stop his gaze from feasting on the exposed flesh. Bare legs from hips to painted toes, and an elegant neck above an expanse of chest leading to cleavage. Out of the corner of his eye, Severus noted that Draco's eyes were also riveted to the vision in front of them. Severus' gaze finally found her face, and it appeared that she was oblivious to their gazes.

She smiled at both of them, waving her clothes in the air. "I'm going to go get some clean clothes, and then we can go to breakfast. Okay?"

"Hermi, ho..." Before Draco could get any farther in his question, Hermione interrupted him.

"I'm fine. I promise. We know what happened, I'm sure Albus has already taken care of it. I'm also certain that he offered to cancel my classes for the next two days, and that is simply not necessary." She was smiling at them, and Severus found himself believing her assurances. It had only taken two or three flashbacks for her to be able to get past them after a good night's sleep, and be able to face the day with no ill effects. When Draco glanced at him, a question in those grey eyes, Severus simply nodded, conveying that it was fine.

"Alright Hermione. If you're sure, then go get dressed. I still have to get ready myself. We'll meet in your common room, and go to breakfast together?" Severus waited for her nod, shared a speaking glance with Draco, and headed off to his room to fetch clean clothes.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Hermione had gotten a devious idea while in the bathroom, and set about putting it into motion before she lost her nerve. She had cast a quick charm after she had gotten out of the shower, to hide the blush already developing on her cheeks. She knew that by the time she got to her room, the blush would practically travel all the way down to her naval, and that was not part of the plan. Actually, the plan hinged on the men thinking she didn't notice their looks.

When she stepped out into the room, her plan immediately worked. Both her men's eyes were glued to her body. She smiled inwardly, giddy at the results. It was not easy to miss the lust and longing in both their eyes. Perhaps tea with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny would help her figure this out. She was more determined than ever to convince the men that the menage-a-trio would work. She had finally weaseled the details from Draco about their relationship, and now that she knew what to look for, she could easily spot the signs that spoke of their feelings for each other.

When she entered her room, she allowed her giggles to escape, her mood light and giddy. Quickly dressing, as usual not particular about what went on under her teaching robes, she ended up tossing on some jeans and a tank top. Slipping on some comfortable black sneakers, she walked back into her common room.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Given that she had no patients in the hospital-wing, Ginny was free to join everyone for breakfast. She was watching avidly for any sign of Hermione. When she saw Hermione walk into the great hall, Severus and Draco following not far behind conversing over something, Ginny released a breath she was not aware she had been holding. Her best friend had a smile on her face, and certainly seemed to be in high spirits.

Ginny was so grateful of that fact, and she didn't think that her brother and Harry could have helped her nearly as much as Severus and Draco had. Now, she had some ideas that might help Hermione get both of her men, and she thought if she could convince her to talk to Mum about it that Saturday, then maybe the three Gryffindor women could dupe the two Slytherins. The thought made her positively giddy, and she flashed Hermione a huge grin as she sat down at the head table. As usual, Hermione was seated between her two men.

*~*~*~*~*POV Shift*~*~*~*~*

Molly Weasley was ecstatic. Her only daughter, and the girl she considered a daughter were coming to visit today. They had planned to have tea like this much sooner, but things had gotten in the way, and the tea had been pushed back until now, the weekend before Halloween. Ginny had owled her last night to confirm their plans, and to make sure Molly had managed to make sure that the three of them would be the only people at the Burrow.

Of course she had. Once Ginny had told her why, Molly had very skillfully maneuvered her family. Luckily, Aurthur had been called into work that day. That was something that happened on a regular basis, not that he was the head of the Mis-use of Muggle Artifacts Department. Bill and Charlie were out of the country with their jobs, and they never came home without an owl warning her of their time off, so she hadn't had to worry about them. Percy, oh how it hurt to think of him, and the years that had passed without even a single word from her third eldest.

She had fire-called the twins to invite them to brunch, and just as she knew they would, they had insisted that they were in the middle of testing some new product, and promised to make it up to her another day. Ron was the most difficult, because it was him that was the biggest worry. But a word with her husband had taken care of that quite neatly. Though she hadn't told him exactly why, Aurthur was happy enough to take his lunch around their tea time to track down their youngest and corner him into lunch. She's only had to promise to explain later, and that was easy enough.

When Ginny had told her what had happened to Hermione back in August, it had broken Molly's heart the same as if it had been Ginny herself whom had been victim to the attack. It was only compounded by the news of Ginny's annulment, and cheating husband. Molly had cried herself to sleep in her husband's arms for a week after that, her heart absolutely shattered for the pain her girls were going through.

During the weekly fire-calls with Ginny after that, Molly had learned that both girls were handling their respective situations with admirable strength and grace, and both were coming through it well. Neither would recover without scars, but that was to be expected. Molly honestly could not have been more proud of either of them.

She was just putting the tea on when she heard the fire jump to life, and the unmistakable sound of one of her children coming through. Hurrying into the other room, Molly was just in time to see a giggling Hermione brushing the soot off both herself and the garment bag she held. She guessed that was her costume for the Halloween Ball, as Ginny's owl had mentioned that they would be picking it up before heading over.

Molly immediately took Ginny into her arms, hugging her youngest tightly. She looked up and noticed the longing on Hermione's face, and immediately opened her other arm for her. Hermione tossed her bag on the back of the couch and rushed to her, and as Molly's arms closed around her, all Molly could think of was how grateful she was to have her girls here with her.

"Mum! We're thrilled to see you too, but I need to breath!" Ginny broke up their embrace with a laugh, and reached up and kissed Molly on the cheek. Hermione followed suit as they moved into the kitchen. She motioned for the girls to take a seat as the tea pot began whistling. Waving her wand at it, the pot gently floated over to the table where she had placed a cozy for it, and she pulled the fresh biscuits out of the oven. Another wand wave, and they were cool enough to eat. Molly watched the girls giggling as the biscuits bounced one by one into the basket waiting for them.

"So, Hermione, are you going to show me the costume I've heard so much about? Ginny said something about it being designed to catch a stubborn man's eye?" Molly chuckled as she watched the blush spread on Hermione's face, and Ginny started giggling hysterically. She had to raise an eyebrow at her youngest, because she didn't think it was that amusing. Then, Hermione mumbled something, and Molly's brow disappeared into her hair. She wasn't quite certain she'd heard that right. "What was that dear? I didn't quite catch it." Her eyes widened when Hermione repeated herself, and confirmed that Molly had, indeed, heard her correctly.

"Men, Mrs. Weasley. As in two stubborn men." Molly sat in her chair perhaps a little more roughly than she'd intended. It wasn't the thought of a threesome that so surprised her, but rather that it was Hermione.

"Well, dear, I believe we have much to catch up on!" Molly smiled brightly, and watched as the girls laughed, though the blush had not faded from Hermione's face. Molly happily listened, sipping on her tea, as Hermione explained her feelings for Severus and Draco. Ginny would pipe up with the occasional observation, adding to the details.

When her explanation was through, Molly set out to prove that a woman could be as devious, as clever as any Slytherin when given proper motivation. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to figure out how Hermione was going to convince two of the most stubborn men alive that they could indeed both have her.

*~*~*~*~*A/N*~*~*~*~*

next chapter: the dance! (I swear! Cross my heart! 3)


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione surreptitiously glanced at the clock as her students worked on their assignments. Ten minutes and the class was over. Her last class of the day could be dismissed and she could disappear into her rooms, to get ready. That night was the long awaited Halloween Ball, and she felt as if she could jump out of her skin with excitement.

Ever since tea with Mrs. Weasley, Hermione had been putting the plan they had come up with into action. Up to that night, The Plan had mostly consisted of subtle hints and covert changes in her behavior. Honestly, it hadn't been all that hard to progress in the direction she wanted, as she had already been heading that way, however unconsciously it had been. She just stepped up the pace her subconscious had set. Hermione glanced at the clock once more. Five minutes to go, and she could practically see the excitement pouring off the students in waves. Seems they were as excited as she. Hermione didn't see the harm in dismissing the class early.

"Students, I expect you to turn this assignment in first thing when you come to class Monday. I will not accept excuses due to the celebrations tonight, as you have all weekend afterwards. Remember I want six inches." As she spoke, the sound of rustling parchment filled the air as her students packed up. The excitement was rising, and she couldn't help but smile. "Class dismissed." Hermione found herself chuckling as her students nearly ran out the door.

The smile stayed in place as Hermione walked down the corridors to her rooms. She knew full well she had both her men nearly out of their minds at this point, with the little touches, the flirting, the affection she had been bestowing upon both men when alone - both when with just one of them, or the two of them. She had a feeling that both were trying to convince themselves that it meant nothing out of the ordinary, because when all three of them were together, she acted the same way. The only time her behavior hadn't changed, in fact, was when someone else was around. Save, of course, for when Ginny was added to their group. After all, Ginny was well aware of the plan.

Tonight was going to be, well, something else entirely. Her costume had been charmed by herself and the Weasley women. The intent was that her men would see a costume considerably more revealing than everyone else. Of course, they wouldn't know that, and it would keep her amused to see how long they could stand thinking that everyone saw what they saw, and it would be very interesting to see whom would break first. How they broke would be very telling. Of course, they would be hard pressed to get her out of there too early, as they were all listed as chaperons for the first half of the event, and couldn't leave before about 11, when the other half of professors came on shift. She had, very sneakily, swiped the sign-up list from McGonagall before they could, and signed all three of them up for the early shift. Left to their own devices, they probably would have each taken a shift to make sure that a Slytherin professor was present to catch any students acting inappropriately.

Once she reached her quarters, Ginny was already there waiting for her. Before they each went their separate ways, Ginny was going to help Hermione set up her rooms just perfectly for what Hermione hoped would happen. Hermione knew that candles and rose petals were over done, and rather blatant, and she wanted something different for her boys. The bed coverings were changed to luxurious silk sheets, and a down feather duvet. The fire in both her bedroom and her common room were lit, and she made sure that flu access was shut down.

The silencing charms were reinforced, because she knew from experience that both she and Draco could get very... vocal. The wall scones were lit, leaving a quiet ambiance in the rooms. A few candles were placed and lit, for their aroma rather than the light. She had placed a few honeysuckle candles around, for the bonds of love she hoped to form. She would have used some vanilla, but knew that Severus disliked the smell. Similarly, she detested the smell of roses, so that was out. She instead chose Sandalwood and Jasmine, as both were heady romantic smells. Not to mention that sandalwood was her favorite. The scents were rising and mingling, creating a lovely smell that she felt she could almost wrap herself in.

Her last touch, before Ginny left and she went to take a bath, was placing a bottle of good red wine in an ice bucket off to the side of the fire in the common room, three glasses waiting on the end table there. Then a simple concealment charm to make sure the men didn't notice the changes in the room when they came to escort her to the ball. Ginny said goodbye, giggling on her way out the door, and Hermione double checked the safety charms on the candles (so her rooms wouldn't burn down while she was gone) before heading to her bath.

Lavender salts in the bath would help sooth her nervousness over this whole thing, and her usual passion flower soaps and lotions would give her a sense of normality over this whole thing. Besides, Draco had said more than once that he liked the scent on her, and Severus certainly seemed to appreciate it when she was near. Stepping out of the bath, she used a quick charm to apply the lotion to her skin.

Pulling her costume out, she couldn't help the devious smile that appeared on her face. It was, simply, a harem girl outfit. The charm they had put on it assured that where everyone else would see a solid material of deep forest green, her men would see sheer material of the same color.

Charming her hair smooth and straight, Hermione placed the headpiece made of fine silver chains and silver coins over her hair. It created a net of chains that continued down the full length of her hair, which fell to her hips. Among the charms the seamstress had put into the outfit before she bought it included one to prevent the chains from tangling and snatching at her hair. It was small things like that which made her grateful to be a witch. Next came the top, which was a shimmering silver material to cover her assets, as well as hold them in such a way as to supply some truly magnificent cleavage, if she did say so herself. Attached to the silver material, and covering her abdomen where it did not, were scarves of the green material. Beneath that, her men would be able to see the emerald she'd charmed to her bellybutton, much in the way muggles pierced their flesh. Attached to the back of the top, and leading to silver bracelets on either wrist, were wide strips of the green material, giving her wings of a sort.

The underwear was bikini cut, and made of the same silver material. No one but her men would see those however, as the loose, green pants covered them, sitting low on her hips. Around the waistband, she placed a belt that matched the headpiece, made of the same fine chains and coins. There were anklets to go around each of her ankles, and the one on her right foot had a chain that let to a toe ring - in a sort of slave-bracelet. Her feet would remain bare, but a simple charm would keep them clean as she walked around. The same charm would also make sure that nothing would hurt her feet, in case she walked over a sharp rock or anything similar.

The last touches were a face scarf of the green material on a chain that attached to the headpiece, silver bracelets that were placed on each of her upper arms, a necklace around her throat that copied the net pattern of the headpiece, silver coin earrings, and a silver hoop running through her nose. Thanks to another charm, the piercing in her nose was painless and quickly healed. Tomorrow she would remove the hoop and heal the hole. Another charm applied the makeup to her face, shading her lips a deep and dusky red beneath the scarf, and applying greens and charcoals to her eyes. A glance in the full sized mirror in her bathroom had her nodding her head in satisfaction. The makeup gave her eyes a smoky, seductive look – exactly what she and the Weasley women had wanted when they decided on it.

Her men would be able to see, through the sheer material, almost every inch of her skin while everyone else would only see her feet, arms, and upper chest. And since Draco and Severus would be escorting her to the hall, she pulled out the last piece of the costume. It was a full hooded cloak in the same deep green color, though this was not sheer even to her men, that was fur lined and trimmed. The fur was the silver gray of the arctic wolf. Hermione managed to pull the cloak on, fasten the silver clasp around her throat, and pull the hood up just in time, as she heard the men knocking on her door. Sending a quiet question to her portrait, the woman in the painting confirmed it was indeed Severus and Draco.

"Come in!" Hermione quickly schooled her expression into a calm smile, instead of the anticipatory smirk she really felt like, even though all they would see would be the sheer green material draped over her mouth. Looks of disappointment passed over both Draco and Severus' faces, and she allowed a grin to form on her face. "Don't like the cloak, gentlemen?" She walked over to stand between them, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Not unlike the one Albus always had, and she knew if they could see it, it would raise the ire of both men.

"Hermi, you know we were hoping to be the first ones to see your costume!" Draco smirked at her, looking devilishly handsome in his pirate costume. Given how he looked in the knee high boots, black leather pants, and white shirt, with his blond hair pulled into a braid, she couldn't bring herself to regret dragging him to see Pirates of the Caribbean the summer after they graduated. The hat he wore was very Jack Sparrow, and he had transfigured something into the pistol and sword Johnny Depp had carried in the movie, along with the matching belts and sheaths. Yummy to say the least.

"Couldn't you just give us a peek then?" Severus said with a grin on his face. He was equally as yummy in his pin-stripe suit and fedora as a 1920's American Mobster. He to had transfigured a tommy-gun with a drum magazine, and was carrying it via strap on his shoulder. He also had an unlit cigar tucked into the pocket of the jacket, in front of the white handkerchief. His black hair, which students assumed to be greasy and was actually just that smooth and silky, was pulled back into a tight ponytail at the base of his neck.

Hermione knew full well that had Albus not imposed a mandatory costume rule for the professors, Severus would have been in his teaching robes like he'd been at every Halloween ball while she'd still been in school. She was sure he would have figured out a way to still pull that off, had Albus not made himself perfectly clear that he expected each and every professor to actually put effort into their costumes – while looking directly at Severus.

Her smirk, she knew, could rival either of theirs as she leaned forward and kissed them both on the cheek in turn, the material of her face scarf ghosting over their skin. "That would ruin my fun Severus! You wouldn't want to do that now would you?" She could practically feel their desire to see what she was wearing as she started to glide out of the room in front of them. "Oh, would one of you be so kind as to cast a warming charm on me? I've never been to good with them, after all!" She stopped and turned to look over her shoulder as she asked, and allowed herself to giggle at the looks on their faces. From confusion, to understanding, to curiosity magnified ten-fold. Severus was the first to regain his composure, and whipped out his wand to cast the requested spell. Hermione felt the pleasant brush of his magic as his charm settled around her.

Continuing her glide out of the room, she knew that they would catch peaks of her green-painted toenails beneath her cloak as she walked. She smiled to herself, knowing that phase 1 of The Plan was working well. Hiding under the cloak until the great hall, the request of a heating charm when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself, the peak of her toes, were all part of it. All little hints designed to get their curiosity to almost unbearable levels. She knew she was being sneaky on a level even some Slytherins never managed, but a woman almost always could.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Severus decided that Hermione knew she was teasing. The only question in his mind was, which one of them? A side glance at Draco told him that the blond was just as intrigued – nay, insanely curious – about her costume as he. The request told him that she was wearing... less than was necessary for the cold weather, as the ground was covered in snow thanks to the flurries the two days previous.

He and Draco moved to catch up to her, and Severus' eyes narrowed has he spotted her bare feet under the hem of the cloak. Since the cloak trailed the ground, he could only see her toes – and were the nails painted Slytherin green? - when she took a step forward. Over her head, Severus caught Draco's eyes, and nodded for him to watch. He kept his eyes on Draco's face, and so was able to pinpoint the exact moment Draco saw Hermione's toes by the surprised widening of his eyes.

Severus knew that the time was fast approaching when Hermione would choose one of them. Even after the recent attack and flashback, she was surely working past her rape. There were even times that he thought he could see desire in her eyes when she looked at him, but he couldn't be right, as he had also seen that same look on her face when she looked at Draco. The problem was he couldn't seem to catch a clue as to which of them she truly wanted, as she treated them both exactly the same. At least, when all three of them were together, and she didn't treat him any differently than that when it was just the two of them.

Of course he couldn't guess as to how she treated Draco when it was just the two of them, and it was that fact that gave him pause. Surely it was Draco that she would turn to. There was, after all, the past relationship between the two of them. Severus knew he didn't stand a chance – the only thing between him and Hermione, from her point of view, was friendship.

Sure, he'd been in love with her for years. A love that had only grown deeper, had only entrenched itself more firmly in his heart while he was caring for her these past months. She, surely, only saw it as the care of a friend, rather than a man who loved her deeply. The, admittedly limited, experience he had with women suggested her behavior tonight meant that she was ready to let her choice know that she was ready for a relationship. The mystery, the deliberate teasing, it practically oozed seduction. The question of who she was seducing was driving him nearly insane.

He saw that they were approaching the Great Hall, and made sure that his typical sneer was plastered across his face. No students had arrived yet, as it was tradition that the Professors be present and seated when the students began to enter. As per usual, supper would be first served and then the festivities would ensue. Severus was looking forward to docking some serious points for out of bounds students – it always put him in a better mood, and if he had to find out for sure that the woman he loved chose someone else, his mood needed all the help it could get.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Draco caught the look Severus was giving him over Hermione's head. He started paying attention to the area he indicated, and nearly choked when he saw Hermione's toes peek out from under the cloak. Barefoot? She was barefooted? Oh sweet Merlin what was she wearing? All they had seen so far were green-painted toenails and a green scarf covering what little bit of her face they could see beneath the cloak.

By the look on his face, Severus knew better than he what was going on with Hermione. Draco, himself, couldn't figure it out. She was doing a wonderful job of frustrating him with the same physical closeness they shared when they had been lovers, but she was the same with Severus, at least when he could see. Gods, what did it mean?

Why did he get the distinct feeling that he was going to need to start reciting Arithmancy formulas when she took off that cloak? He could, at least, be comforted about the fact that they were going to a ball that would be filled with the students, and she wouldn't wear anything overtly suggestive. Right? Of course, with Hermione, she could be covered from chin to toe and he would still want her. He always would, despite the fact that he knew well that she was in love with Severus. When she was ready for an intimate relationship, he would be pushed aside. Oh Merlin, what that it?

As they approached the Great Hall, Draco schooled his face. While the students couldn't be allowed to see anything other than their Auror Defense teacher, he certainly didn't want the other professors to see anything either. Nosy coworkers that they were, Dumbledore especially!

Regardless of how schooled his expression was, Draco noted the curious smirk on Ginny's face. It was a look that was rather disturbing on a Gryffindor's face. Well, except for his Hermi, that was. That damnable twinkle was, naturally, present in Dumbledore's eyes. They took their seats, and a wave of Dumbledore's hands closed the doors to the Great Hall. Theatric old coot probably wanted the students to gather in the hallway before opening them to the Halloween decorations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw McGonagall pull her wand, and seconds later her announcement echoed throughout the castle.

"Students may now leave their common rooms." Draco couldn't shake the feeling that this would be a long night.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Hermione couldn't help the anticipation building in her heart. She would, one way or another, convince them both that this would work – and she would do it tonight.

Her cloak would stay pulled up over her head until the students had arrived and dinner was served. Once her food was in front of her, she would lower the hood, and her arms would slide out of the arm splits in the cloak, giving her men a hint of her costume. Once the dancing began, she would leave the cloak behind to join everyone on the floor.

It didn't take long after Minerva's announcement for the sound of students gathering outside the doors. She figured that Albus was only waiting for the majority of the students to get there. Once he decided to open the doors, the students would be treated to the decorations of the Great Hall as designed by the Head Girl and Prefects.

The Great Hall was actually rather magnificent, in a run-down, creepy, haunted castle sort of way. The Head Girl was muggleborn, and had chosen a horror/haunted theme for the decorations. As the doors to the hall slowly creaked open, she saw the crowd of students in their many different, and some very colorful, costumes. The sight they were treated to was quite similar to what Hermione imagined muggles thought they would see when they saw the broken ruins, instead of Hogwarts herself. The walls themselves were charmed to look aged, dirty, and crumbling. Spiderwebs covered the walls, and hung between the arches, below the ceiling that appeared to be broken and open to view the full moon above. Though it was actually cloudy outside, the Headmaster had adjusted the charms at the Head Girl's request.

Here and there you caught glimpses of young acromantulas, maybe about a meter across from leg tip to leg tip at the most, moving over the webs high on the walls. The Professors and Prefects knew the were illusions, of course, as acromantulas would never be allowed into the school regardless of size because of their violent nature. Hermione knew of Aragog, of course, but Hagrid had hidden him. Near the arches, skeletons hung from chains. Jack-o-lanterns, carved with creepy faces, cats, and scenes of the full moon, floated above the students heads. Upon the house tables were tall candelabras covered with cobwebs, and on the table surface the cobwebs continued between the platters where the food would appear. Caught in the webs were finger bones, rat skeletons, lizard mummies, and various other creepy props. And over everything, was a layer of dust that didn't seem to move even as the students walked over it, or ran their fingers through it.

In the corner, a goblin band played a mix of traditional muggle Halloween music, which they must have gotten from the Head Girl, and wizarding music. Well, actually that was the plan. They wouldn't begin to play until after dinner, but they were set up anyway. At the moment, a charm Professor Flitwick had cast was providing the auditory ambiance. That it, they could hear the wind, various crickets and frogs, and the occasional howl of a wolf. Hermione was absolutely delighted with the student's reactions as they settled into their seats quietly. Well, mostly quietly as one younger girls in Hufflepuff screamed suddenly when one of the phantom spiders appeared in front of her plate.

Once everyone was seated, Albus stood, and waved his arms. It didn't surprise her a bit that he was dressed as Merlin, staff included. One tap of that staff on the ground, and the food appeared on the tables. "Let's Eat!"

Hermione was very aware of the men on either side of her as her hands slipped from beneath her cloak, and her hood lowered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the tell-tale widening of Severus' eyes, and she adjusted her head slightly to see the smirk on Draco's face. Her eyes met Ginny's and they both grinned. Hermione then reached up to unhook the scarf across her face, so that she could eat.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Severus almost didn't stop the surprised look that wanted to appear on his face. The first thing that when through his mind, when he saw her bare arms adorned with the silver bracelets and the strip of sheer material, was 'no wonder she needed the warming charm.' That, of course, was closely followed by 'Dear Merlin' when she lowered her hood to show the same material across her face was attached to a chain headpiece. It was unmistakable, he knew that a headpiece like that was only found in the Far East. With the face scarf and the bracelets, it wasn't hard to deduce from there that she was wearing the traditional garb for either a belly dancer, or a harem girl.

Either option bounced around in Severus' head, and he knew it would drive him crazy until she took that cloak off. Over Hermione's head, he caught Draco's eye, and knew that the two of them were in complete agreement. They both sincerely hoped that the face scarf and the material attached to her bracelets was the only shear material in the costume. Severus didn't think he'd be able to handle even an inch more than that. Draco didn't look like he would be able to either.

Severus lamented the fact that he would not be able to slip away from the Ball before 11 o'clock, he wouldn't be able to go and hide in his rooms. His Hermione had made sure of that when she didn't even let them sign up for their own shifts. Then she had charmed the bloody parchment so that he couldn't change it later.

At that point, it was far from difficult to maintain the sneer on his face. Thoughts of Hermione getting closer to Draco and pushing him aside were more than enough to keep that going. Perhaps he allowed a little too much force to enter his hands as he stabbed his fork into his food, but so what? Everyone would just think that he was pissed about being in costume – which he was, to be frank. More truthfully, he just didn't want to be there at all. His heart was going to be broken, he could see it coming, but all he could do was watch. Like a train wreck, he just couldn't look away. So, for now, his steak would just have to be mutilated.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Draco's suspicions about thoughts of arithmancy were confirmed when Hermione drew down the hood of her cloak. The headdress and arm adornments suggested a costume that by definition was meant to entice and arouse the opposite sex. On one hand, he applauded her willingness to wear something like that after what she had been through. However, at that moment, all he could truly think of was how he was going to keep himself from dragging her out of the hall and away from hungry, hormonal teen-aged male eyes.

If he knew his Hermi at all, he didn't worry about much other than her arms and feet being bare – but that hardly made a difference in his mind. Of course, he was still trying to figure out her reasons for remaining covered for this long - and it appeared that she was having no problems keeping the cloak on throughout dinner. The whinny preteen brat he used to be was in the back of his mind, going on and on about how he was supposed to be suave, debonair, and charming, and that it was most definitely not supposed to be this difficult to understand a single woman – a Gryffindor one especially!

To be honest, Draco was sure of only three things at that moment. The first, was that Hermione was going to be the death of him. The second, was that he was going to have to draw on every bit of self control he'd ever learned to keep himself from wrapping her in her cloak and dragging her out of the hall and away from the lustful gazes of the teenagers all around them. The last, was that Severus was going to be in a very similar situation as himself. That, he knew, because he was listening to Severus attack his food with far more force than necessary.

Dinner passed quickly enough, and with a wave of the headmaster's hands, the house tables were replaced by smaller round tables scattered around the perimeter of the dance floor. He watched sourly as the Head Girl and Head Boy opened the Ball with their dance. He managed to miss Hermione slipping from her seat and disappearing into the crowd of students. His eyes did, however, nearly jump out of his skull when he turned to say something to her, and the only think that was left was her fur lined cloak draped over the back of her seat. Severus was still scowling at his plate on the other side of the open seat. They appeared to be the only professors that had yet to join the masses out on the floor.

Draco's swift departure from his seat was still not enough to grab Severus' attention, so on his way out to the floor, Draco caught the Potion Master's attention with a light tap on the shoulder as he passed. It was not like the man to be so unaware of his surroundings, years as a spy requiring 'constant vigilance,' a practice Moody had drilled into his head in auror training. Draco sensed that Severus was behind him, and he could guess that the other man was on the same mission as himself. To find Hermione, and asses the threat level, to use another auror term. The feeling in the pit of Draco's stomach told him that this could be bad, very bad, for himself and Severus.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Ginny was keeping track of the two Slytherins as they left the head table. It was her job, as part of The Plan, to keep an eye on their reactions, and run interference if it appeared that either one of them were about to do something stupid. If it became necessary, she would tip them off to the fact that they were the only ones who could see through the green material of Hermione's costume. They had discussed the necessity of it during tea with her Mum. Hermione had even made sure that Ginny was capable of being subtle enough so that Severus and Draco could figure it out, and not believe that they had been told on purpose.

Though Ginny still didn't understand it, that was apparently rather important. When she had asked why they needed to do it that way, her mother had told her that if she ever needed to use such tactics to capture her own man, she would understand why it was important that they thought it was their idea. That was when Ginny learned that her own mother had needed to resort to such subtlety to capture the attention of an oblivious Arthur Weasley.

Ginny saw the exact moment that Draco and Severus spotted Hermione, and her costume in its entirety. For the first time in her life, she witnessed Severus Snape's jaw hitting the ground. And though she had not witnessed Hermione punching Draco during her own second year, his gob-smacked look was rather similar to what she had imagined his face to look like when the event had later been described in the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione, for her part, was engaged in a cheerful dance with the Headmaster, surrounded by a throng of students. Catching her friend's eye across the dance floor, Ginny gave a slight nod to let Hermione know that the objects of The Plan had seen her. The satisfied grin on Ginny's face was enough to let Hermione know that their initial reaction was what they had been hoping for. Of course, Ginny was quickly on the move, because it didn't take Severus and Draco long to get over their shock, and start to make a bee-line for Hermione.

Thinking, and moving quickly, Ginny managed to maneuver herself into their path casually enough to make it seem as if she had been in that spot all along, and they had just happened to run into her. Pasting a look of confused concern onto her face, Ginny stopped the men in their tracks.

"What is the problem Sev? Draco? You both look rather angry. I know you weren't pleased with the costume requirement, but I didn't believe that either of you were angry enough about it for it to show!"

Letting them know that they were both visibly and obviously upset was enough to get them to slow down and actually look at her, instead of through her.

Ginny, herself, was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. Given the press of the dance floor, she had left her picnic basket up on the head table. She wore heeled maryjanes, white stockings, a red mid-thigh length dress, a white apron, and of course the short little hooded red cape. Given that, Ginny couldn't help but compare both men's looks to that of the hungry werewolf in the fairytale. (Yes, in the original wizards' tale, it was a werewolf. The woodsman was actually a werewolf hunter carrying a silver axe.)

When Severus finally answered her, his words came out in a growl. "Have you seen Hermione's costume?" While Severus had spoken to her, Draco had turned back to search again for Hermione. Ginny knew that as soon as Hermione had spotted Ginny's interception, she would have disappeared out of sight to give Ginny time to take care of them. Meanwhile, it didn't surprise Ginny one bit that she had to enact the "if necessary" part of the plan less than an hour into the dance.

"Yes. I was there when she picked it up. Isn't it lovely?" The look on Severus' face was one she was much more familiar with, and it brought her back to potions class, when someone had done something especially stupid. This was a look that said 'you're an imbecile.' "To be honest, she was a bit worried about that material, but I was absolutely sure that it was plenty thick enough that even next to a fire, you wouldn't be able to see through it." There was the absolute confusion appearing on both their faces as Draco turned his full attention back to her. Now, for the nail in the proverbial coffin. "Really, all it took to keep the scarfs around her stomach from flying up and showing off her abdomen was a little spell-o-tape. I told her she didn't need to worry about anyone seeing a single bit of skin that she didn't want them to see!"

Severus had regained his composure half way through her comments, so she wasn't exactly sure when he figured it out. Draco, however, didn't manage so well. She could almost hear the bell go off in his mind before he too regained his glacial mask of indifference. Ginny could now go back to her mother and tell her that, no, she didn't need to wait until she was pursuing her own man to understand why the subtlety was necessary. Watching Severus and Draco demonstrated the point beautifully. She almost couldn't wait until both men nodded their acknowledgement to her and drifted away – much more calmly – to locate Hermione to allow the smirk spread across her features. Now she got to sit back and watch Hermione evade the two increasingly frustrated (and aroused) men for the next three hours.

Ginny dutifully kept her eyes on them as she enjoyed the music, food, dancing, and frivolity of the students during the celebrations of All Hallows Eve. She had plans of putting their reactions throughout the dance into a pensive, and sharing it with her Mum as promised. By the time 11 o'clock came, Ginny was convinced that The Plan had been, and would continue to be an absolute success.

*~*~*~*~*STORY*~*~*~*~*

I do believe that next chapter could very well be the conclusion of the journey.


	13. Chapter 13

/AN/

This story, originally posted under the title "Out of the Darkness, and Back In" has been quite a trip. I am thrilled to be able to say that it is finished. Period. The End.

On the other hand, it is also a bit sad. But that's just my own, personal sadness to see this story end.

I do hope you've enjoyed this trip with me. (and for those that read it, yes, I hope and intend to work on Lost Little Children next.) Thank you all for taking the time to read what I have written.

/END AN/

Epilogue

Hermione caught sight of her best friend across the Great Hall. She waited for Ginny to look her way before throwing the red-head a grin and a wave. She watched the Medi-witch laugh out loud at Hermione's situation. She had been dragged out into the middle of the dancing students, the bright colors of the costumes flashing by her as Draco twirled her around in a dance much faster than suited the current song.

Every so often, she would catch sight of a scowling Severus. That wasn't unusual of course, when they were out among the students. However, Hermione knew full well that this scowl was aimed at one blond DADA Professor. If they were any closer to the Potion Master, Hermione was almost certain she'd see merriment dancing in his eyes. Carefully concealed, certainly, but that hadn't been an obstacle for Hermione for quite some time.

Glancing up at Draco's face revealed that he was well aware of where her thoughts were. It also revealed that he was as amused by the situation as she. Really, the whole thing was a joke, Draco pushing Severus' buttons. Hermione wasn't sure what reaction Draco was hoping for, as there were several ways Severus could take this.

Draco spun her faster as the tempo of the band started to pick up, and as the material of their costumes spun and mingled around them Hermione was reminded of the last time green and white material had wrapped around them during a Halloween Ball.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Severus watched the two people most important to him twirl and laugh, out among the students on the dance floor. Even though he was silently laughing, it wasn't hard to maintain the scowl on his face. Albus had yet again mandated that each professor sign up for at least one chaperon shift for the ball, despite knowing full well the significance of the night. Discreetly checking the clock had Severus quite frustrated that they still had two hours before the three of them could retire to their rooms.

Severus was not a man prone to overly sentimental reminisces, nor was he prone to the giddy feeling that had begun to build in his chest earlier in the evening. However, given the circumstances, he was allowing himself some leeway. Of course, it in no way had anything at all to do with the fact that Hermione told him he was to 'loosen up and enjoy the ball' or he would 'certainly regret it.'

Regardless, he found himself reminiscing about his Hermione, and her absolute determination to bring about her desired results, once she set her mind to a course. Severus found himself grateful for her obstinate resolve, where it was a quality that annoyed him in most anyone else. That could have something to do with the fact that without that quality in his Hermione, the current circumstances may never have come about.

Thinking of that almost had him cracking a smile as he watched Hermione call uncle out on the dance floor. She was laughing, and barely able to keep her feet as Draco escorted her off the floor, and back in his direction. A discreet glance around, and an equally as discreet nod at Draco soon had his Hermione propelled into his arms. Wrapping his hands around her waist was an automatic reaction to the impact of her body against his, though her smile had him, quite voluntarily, pulling her flush against his body in one fluid move.

Unfortunately, they were in public, so the embrace was rather short-lived, so he made to help her into a seat, as if she had accidentally fallen against him rather than fallen by design. Draco returned his smirk as the blond pulled the chair that he deposited his Hermione in, over from a nearby empty table.

Severus stoically watched as Hermione's laughs subsided, and the three of them spent a pleasantly silent moment amongst the noise, watching the loudly costumed students enjoying the traditionally decorated Great Hall. Before long though, necessity broke the companionable, and relative, silence.

"How long until our shift is over Severus?" Hermione turned to speak to him as she pulled a booted foot into her lap and began to rub her ankle. Severus raised an eyebrow at her actions, and waited for the shake of her head, indicating all was well, before he answered her question.

"Marginally less than two hours ma chérie. Regret signing us up for the second shift already?" Severus' smirk grew as his Hermione caught the mirth beneath his sarcastic tone. She cut narrowed eyes at him, before sending him a grin.

"Not at all Severus. I just thought that it was about time for you and Draco to patrol out in the gardens. In the snow." Severus didn't trust the wide, innocent smile Hermione sent his and Draco's way. "Wouldn't want those students to get away with mischief for too long without taking points, now would we?"

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Draco caught Hermione's tone, and his eyes widened. That was a tone he'd not heard since their seventh year, when Hermione had discovered her love of, and rather disturbing natural talent for, playing all manner of practical jokes and pranks. He had, back then, more than once thought of what a shame it was that the twin Weasley's had graduated – as they might have found a formidable opponent in a prank war.

He saw how Severus was suspicious, but Hermione had been very, very good – and none of the professors had ever been aware that it had been their Head Girl that was responsible for the pranks that had plagued the school that year. At most, they had figured it was a seventh year, but Hermione had left no other clue. If that tone still meant the same, Draco knew he and Severus were in for it before the night was through, and they were all able to retire to their rooms.

Of course, he also well remembered what usually happened after she had successfully pulled one over on him. He well understood the confusion in Severus' eyes when he caught sight of the downright devilish grin that suddenly appeared on Draco's face.

"Of course chérie. Severus and I will make a circuit of the gardens and courtyard. I'm sure Severus will enjoy docking points off any students stupid enough to be cavorting out in the snow." Draco's theory was that whatever Hermione had planned would be much easier to avoid if there were two sets of eyes looking for it, and the first thing that would be coming out of his mouth would be to tell Severus of what threatened them.

"But, wouldn't you find more students if you split up? Not to mention, be able to get out of the snow that much sooner." Hermione's expression didn't change, but Draco could practically hear the muscles in her cheeks creaking to maintain that innocent smile. 'Oh, Severus don't fall for this,' was the only thought that passed through Draco's mind. Alas, Severus was paying more attention to Hermione, and thus missed the subtle signs Draco was trying to send him. A sharp nod later, and Draco watched as his chances of warning Severus slip away.

"A good suggestion ma chérie. I shall take the gardens then." Draco watched Hermione's face carefully, and saw the subtle light up of her eyes, telling him that her plan was working. This was his last chance to at least do damage control, the reasons for which was self preservation. If Severus got hit by this prank he was now sure Hermione had planned, he would get equal blame – and Draco did not want to know what that would mean for the both of them that night.

"Severus let me take the gardens. There are always more Gryffindors in the court yards." Draco grinned at the other man. Then his gaze slid to Hermione to gage her reaction. "You know that always lifts your mood." This time that light in her eyes was missing, letting him know that he'd be the target of the prank. Given that, Draco was sure he could catch the prank before to much damage was done – and Severus wouldn't be in a foul mood later that evening. He watched Severus nod, and Draco turned to head to the gardens, sincerely hoping to find some students he could take points from.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Severus was a little curious after Draco's suggestion, and the blinding smile that Hermione aimed at him as soon as the blond had turned his back to walk away. Before he left, he wanted to make sure his Hermione would be alright. She had come so far since **that** day, but she still tended to get a bit nervous in such large crowds. Severus drew her attention by laying a hand gently on her shoulder. Hermione turned and gave him a sweet smile.

"You'll be alright then, chérie?" Severus appreciated the smile on her face and the light in her eyes, and her understanding that he could not return the gesture here in public. He watched her nod before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Of course Severus. I believe I owe Albus a dance, actually. Ginny will be happy to keep me company after that. It is only a bit more than an hour and a half left to go. I think I'll be alright for that long without your esteemed protection, Severus." Hermione's grin let Severus know she was teasing him, but he scowled at her anyway. He turned and stalked away to the sound of her laughter.

As Severus headed to the courtyard, he found himself pondering the situation. His Slytherin instincts for self preservation (for lack of a better term) were raising his suspicions. Something was a bit off with that exchange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. If Hermione had been acting just a bit more like the Gryffindor she was, he'd have easily been able to figure it out. However, he well knew that her time with Draco in their seventh year, and her time with them both since, had her thinking more and more like a Slytherin. Which meant she was well on her way to making subtly into an art form.

As he emerged into the cold air and snow coating the courtyard, he shook the thoughts off. There was no use in dwelling on an issue he wouldn't figure out until Hermione wished him too, now when there were students to terrorize. In fact, there appeared to be a couple just on the other side of the next pillar. Gliding around to stand behind the students – a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff, of all things – Severus stood with his arms crossed. He knew he presented a looming figure as he cleared his throat and the students jumped out of their skins.

"Ms. Lennox, Mr. Grant. 10 points each for being out of bounds. Return to the Great Hall immediately, and perhaps you can avoid loosing any more points before my class Monday" He sneered at the 6th years both quaking in their boots. Internally, his smirk was quite pleased. It was good to be the most feared professor in school. He continued on his way, picking up the sounds of students who had found a carriage to take shelter from the snow in. It was a quite night, the music from the ball only barely reaching his ears out in the snow covered courtyard.

Severus, of course, had a charm on, keeping himself warm. It was, however, a charm not taught to 5 years or below, the students having not learned how to maintain that type of spell until the end of their 5th year Charms class. Thus, Severus well expected to find 5th years, 4th years, or possible a combination thereof, taking refuge in the carriage he now approached. Judging by the muffled sounds and the movements of the carriage, these students would be a bit further along than the kissing couple from earlier. Oh, how Severus was looking forward to catching these two in the act. This was going to be worth at least 50 points. Each.

Severus allowed a smirk to appear on his face, taking pleasure in the anticipation of busting these students. The expression on his face when he reached for the carriage door was one Hermione had called his evil-git face, he knew. The students would be well aware that he took pleasure in taking points from them.

What happened when the door opened, however, was far from what he was expecting. It only took a moment for him to move into action, but that moment of surprise was all it took for him to be covered from head to toe in a layer of snow. There were no students in the carriage after all. It was, instead, so full of charms that Severus immediately knew what had just happened. It not only provided the last puzzle piece for nailing down what had bothered him about the earlier exchange with Hermione and Draco, but it also finally fell into place who had been the clever little culprit for all those pranks five terms before – Hermione and Draco's seventh year.

Since nothing further happened - after the initial explosion of snow from the carriage that magically coated him in the snow – and he had warming charms in place, Severus just stood still in his shock. Though he'd certainly never call it shock. Were any students, and even some professors, see his face at the moment they would turn tail and run, hoping against hope he did not notice them and turn his anger in their direction. In truth, he was going over the details, trying to figure if Draco had also been involved – now, or then – or if he had been trying to warn Severus.

After a few moments of standing still, going over the details in his mind, Severus started to notice the other part of Hermione's little prank. It was defiantly just Hermione's doing, as Draco would never dare pull a trick like this one. The snow that touched his skin had not melted as he would have expected, furthermore, the snow that had been on his clothing had melted, soaked his clothing, and re-solidified on his skin. Severus wasn't shivering only by virtue of the warming charm. That, however, was not stopping the sensation Hermione had intended. It was also having the exact affect she intended as well.

Pulling out his wand, Severus was prepared to chuckle over this, and tease Hermione in kind later that evening. However, when he intoned the incantation "Finite Incantatem," nothing happened. His eyes narrowed and he quickly tried other finite spells without success. Severus was ready to torture Hermione when he realized that the charms wouldn't be removed except by her. Quickly checking the time with his wand, Severus realized there was only half an hour left till he could drag her away from the ball.

He went to cast a concealment charm to hide his arousal, then realized that Hermione must have included that on her list, because he could not see the evidence through his 'Sherlock Holmes' costume. The sack coat, and even the calf-length overcoat common n the 1890s were fitted too closely to conceal nearly as much as his normal robes would in this situation, and his ire was cooled by her thoughtful inclusion of the concealment. It did not, however, halt his plans for his revenge.

Passing by a window on his way to find the clever Hermione had him discovering that you could no longer see the snow that coated him, even though he could certainly still feel the effect. That was enough to slow his pace to his more standard stride as the mask slid into place. He even managed to deduct 15 more points from Ravenclaw, and 20 from Gryffindor on his way into the hall.

*~*~*~*~*POV*~*~*~*~*

Hermione walked among the tables in the Great Hall, chatting with Ginny. She was keeping an eagle eye out for both Severus and Draco to return. Her prank had been set in such a way that her wand would vibrate like a muggle pager when Severus opened the carriage door and triggered the charms. That had happened maybe 10 minutes prior – and with less than 20 minutes before their shift was over, Hermione was starting to think her prank failed.

She had made sure that it wouldn't affect anyone but Severus or Draco, and since the both of them shared the kink that she had exploited she hadn't really cared who got caught by it in the end. Even if she meant it for Severus - the reason she had smiled so brightly at Draco's back as he had left for the gardens after falling for her bait - getting Draco would have been just as satisfying.

Now, though, she was starting to think that Draco had doubled back in order to warn Severus of the possibility, and that they had found it and set if off without either of them being affected. It wouldn't work if neither of them were standing directly in front of the carriage door when it was opened. With an internal sigh, she decided that if her prank failed, she would simply keep trying until she achieved the results she wanted.

Ten minutes before their shift was due to end, Hermione's hopes for success soared again as she watched Draco come in from the gardens, one last pair of students only moments ahead of him. He had a disgruntled look on his face as his eyes scanned the crowd, looking for her. She watched Draco's eyes and saw when he caught the red hair of her best friend, and then the white of the scarf covering her own hair. Hermione grinned as her eyes met his, and watched as he frowned at her. She knew he'd realized that he had fallen into her trap – since no prank had been out in the gardens. She figured she'd get it for that too. All part of her master plan, really.

It was only another minute or so before Draco managed to maneuver his way through the crowd of celebrating students. It was when Draco had nearly reached her and Ginny that Severus came stalking into the hall. The look on Severus face, to everyone else, spoke of annoyance and a fair bit of temper. The fact that he was drenched would provide ample reason for that. Hermione, and Draco she knew, saw behind that mask to the reaction he was concealing. She saw Severus' frustration, amusement, and best of all his arousal. Her prank was working just the way she wanted it to.

The initial affect she had planned was his complete inundation with the snow. As the snow melted, as it would quickly do against his skin and clothing with the warming charm she knew he would have up, it would produce the deluge he now experienced. That is when the prank got more complicated. Coupled with a concealment charm to hide the predictable affect, and ultimately the purpose of the prank, were the series of charms that produced the sensations over every inch of skin. Hermione had discovered, to her absolute delight, the three of them shared a particular fetish. Which is why when the second part of the prank activated, Severus had felt as if hot wax had been poured over his skin; and why now he felt as if he was covered in the solid, cooled texture that inevitably arrived once the wax had cooled.

His frustration and arousal was exactly the state she'd wanted him in when they returned to their shared quarters to celebrate their first anniversary as a menage-a-trio. With a glance at the clock, Hermione noted that their shift was over, and she spotted the professors arrive to take over the last shift of the night. A nod and a smile to Ginny later, and Hermione just slipped past Draco's questing fingers and headed for the entrance to the Great Hall. She had no doubt that Draco would be hot on her heels, and no doubt that Severus would quickly notice their progress to the exit, and join them.

The trek to their rooms was made in silence, and Hermione imagined they made a peculiar sight to any on lookers. The Muggle Studies professor and the Gryffindor living in Slytherin territory leading the way, the aristocratic DADA Professor and last remaining Malfoy only a few steps behind her, and a soaking wet Slytherin Head of House stalking angrily behind them. Hermione couldn't help but giggle then entire way to the dungeons.

The minute she passed through the portal into their common room, she had intended to take off at a dead run, but Hermione miscalculated how close Draco really was. The now deviously grinning blond snatched her off her feet with one muscled arm wrapped around her waist, and in one smooth motion, turned on the balls of his feet and tossed her across the room and into the arms of a delightfully aggressive Severus just as the man closed the portrait guarding their privacy behind him.

The word and actions that followed, while leaving Hermione pleasured down to her very core, did not matter nearly as much as the feelings that resonated down to her very soul. She was with the two men she loved – and she'd never felt more cherished, more loved, or more protected than when she was wrapped in the arms of her men. The past did not matter here, and their future was laid out before them. Though they'd only had a year together, Hermione knew deep in her heart that there were many more to come. Whatever happened, whatever they faced, Hermione had no fear. Her men, her Severus and her Draco, had brought her safely out of the darkness.

THE END.


End file.
